This story was originally posted at BoiseDev.com.
The West Ada School Board of Trustees is considering telling the superintendent to post new ‘everyone is welcome’ signage at each school in the district, according to public records obtained by BoiseDev.
A draft of a board letter obtained under the Idaho Public Records Act shows the board considered “directing the Superintendent to display signs at every school: ‘Everyone is Welcome in West Ada.’”
The records came in the wake of a report by KTVB-TV’s Brian Holmes on Tuesday that Lewis & Clark Middle School teacher Sarah Inama was told to take down a pair of signs that include variations on the message “everyone is welcome,” with design elements including multi-racial hands and multiple colors. Inama initially took the signs down, but told Holmes she decided to put them back up, and was ordered to remove them by the end of the year.
How the signs differ
The district tells BoiseDev that the new signs it is considering putting up differ from those posted by Inama because those posters have design elements they believe to violate district and federal policies.
“Regarding the Everyone is Welcome Here posters, the district determined that while the phrase itself is broadly positive, certain design elements have been associated over time with political entities and initiatives that are now subject to federal restrictions,” West Ada Chief of Staff for Communication Niki Scheppers wrote in response to BoiseDev questions to superintendent Dr. Derek Bub and Board Chair Lori Frasure.
In another poster, the words “Everyone is welcome here” appear on a black background, above a series of ten raised hands. Each hand contains a heart, and appears in a set of five skin tones, including white, brown and black.
The district linked to a January 29th Executive Order by President Donald J. Trump entitled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.” The EO says the Trump Administration intends to enforce existing laws around discrimination in schools for schools that receive federal funding, and instructs the Secretaries of Education, Defense, and Health & Human Services, as well as the Attorney General, to put together a plan to ending funding for “illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schools…” The executive order does not currently provide any concrete steps for schools to take.
District, teacher disagree on whether sign removal was inclusionary or exclusionary
The district’s version of events and interpretation of motives differs in key ways from what Inama told KTVB.
She said she was told that “’everyone is welcome here’ is not something that everybody believes.” She later told Idaho EdNews that she felt the district was trying to head off complaints from patrons with “exclusionary beliefs.”
“That’s appeasing not a political view, but a bigoted view that shouldn’t even be considered by a public school district,” Inama told EdNews.
Scheppers told EdNews that the request to remove the signs was an inclusionary move, rather than exclusionary.
“The request to remove specific signage is not about excluding or marginalizing any group of students,” she said to EdNews. “Our policies are in place to maintain a neutral educational environment while upholding our commitment to inclusion, respect, and belonging for all.”
The large tranche of emails provided by West Ada shows the board of trustees considered several drafts of a response. The drafts – labeled “Board Letter,” “Board Letter 2,” “Board Letter 3,” and “Board Letter 4” were sent by district superintendent Derek Bub to members of the board throughout the day on March 13th and March 14th. While the letters were not immediately shared with BoiseDev, an email replying to “Board Letter 2” from board member Angie Redford indicates one of the action steps being considered was to order Bub to post the new signage.
“We reaffirm: all students are welcome in West Ada—always have been, always will be. From every school, every grade, every background—everyone belongs. To make this clear, we’re directing the superintendent to display signs at every school: ‘Everyone is Welcome in West Ada.’”
The board has not yet released any letter.
Idaho State Code does not allow elected officials to meet in a quorum outside of an officially-noticed meeting. The code also does not allow officials to hold a so-called “serial meeting,” where they avoid a quorum in a series of meetings or communications. West Ada last met on March 10th and isn’t slated to meet again until April 14th. It has not provided public notice of a special meeting.
“At this time, the board has not determined an official response to recent media coverage,” Scheppers said. “Board members regularly receive documents and correspondence related to district matters, and the labeling of a document as ‘Board Letter’ does not indicate formal board action. Any official district or board responses are communicated publicly in alignment with board policy and governance procedures.”
The district held a last-minute meeting with administrators across the district late Friday afternoon, according to the emails.
Myers’ response
BoiseDev requested all emails sent by Bub and Chief Academic Officer Marcus Myers over several days last week. According to reporting by KTVB and Idaho EdNews, Myers who is the district’s number two official, emailed Inama, telling her that the signs didn’t align with district policy.
Myers responded to more than 100 critical comments sent to him, each with one of two form responses. He responded to a smaller number of supportive comments with more customized and shorter messages.
“Last week, the district was notified that the teacher reached out to local media to share their (sic) story,” Myers’s response read. “While we respect individuals’ rights to express their perspectives, it is important to reaffirm that this situation is not about limiting speech or expression but about ensuring consistency in our classrooms and maintaining a learning environment free from distraction. The district’s policies are designed to provide clarity and fairness for all teachers and students by establishing clear expectations for classroom materials.”
Myers said the final decision to remove the posters came from lawyers.
The emails show more than 100 comments to Myers or Bub, the vast majority expressing disappointment in the situation, including calling for the district officials to resign, apologize or reverse course. Comments showing disapproval came from members of the community, parents and in some cases – teachers.
Some supportive comments also came through. One, sent by a math teacher to Bub expressed “appreciation for Marcus and the leadership he continues to demonstrate, even in the face of significant challenges.”
Bub forwarded the note to Myers and wrote, “This is the Marcus I know! Save this email.”
Local doctor and parent: District’s actions ‘deeply concerning’
While most of the emails received were met with the standardized replies, one got extra attention from Bub. A Meridian doctor wrote an extended email stating “we don’t feel welcome recently.”
“As a father of two West Ada students in a mixed-race family, I find it necessary to address the logical inconsistencies and troubling implications of your official explanation,” the doctor wrote. “However, deeming a statement as simple and universally positive as ‘Everyone is welcome here’ to be an opinion rather than an immutable fact suggests that the opposite sentiment—that not everyone is welcome—is equally valid under district policy.”
The doctor said the message was ‘deeply concerning.’
“The optics of this decision are undeniable,” the doctor writes. “Actively instructing a teacher to remove a poster with such a universally positive message sends a much louder message than simply allowing it to remain. Rather than reinforcing a welcoming environment, it highlights an apparent lack of it—particularly from those who made and enforced this decision.”
The doctor shared that he is a person of color.
“I can attest firsthand that the removal of this poster has had a direct impact on my family,” the doctor wrote. “Instead of creating a sense of belonging, this decision has made us feel less welcome in our own schools.”
Bub promptly replied.
“I appreciate the email and would like to offer an opportunity for you and I (sic) to meet and exchange perspectives on this issue. I have found that open dialogue helps to move us closer to a solution,” he wrote. “Recognizing that you certainly have a busy schedule, please let me know your availability and/or willingness for the two of us to sit down.”
