O'FALLON, Mo. — The Francis Howell School District Board of Education will revisit its decision to allow a 2020 anti-racism resolution to expire.
In a Facebook post, Adam Bertrand, the board's president, said he and director Mark Ponder believe that support for the current resolution is "unlikely," but added there "may be support of a rewrite or modification" based on feedback from the audience at last week's board meeting.
Bertrand said Ponder has offered to lead an initiative with other board members and the community to create a draft that the majority of the board could support.
The school board voted 5-2 at its June 20 meeting to pass a new policy that automatically ends resolutions after 75 days if the majority of the current board wasn't in office when the resolution passed. Five of the seven current board members didn't sign the resolution.
In addition to the anti-racism resolution, two others dealing with school choice and personal property taxes would also expire.
The anti-racism resolution was created following the police killing of George Floyd, sparking rallies and resolutions. The board passed the resolution following that summer, saying it stood firmly against all acts of individual and systemic racism. The resolution is currently displayed in classrooms and throughout schools.
Bertrand and Ponder joined board members Jane Puszkar, Ron Harmon and sponsor Randy Cook in voting to rescind the resolutions. Board members Chad Lange and Janet Stiglich voted against it.
Lange originally signed the resolution in 2020 and stands firm by his decision. He made a post expressing his concerns on Facebook.
If you have any feedback to provide regarding the resolution, then email the board leaders here.