Brown County Schools did not authorize a note recently sent home to elementary school parents that gave them an option to keep students out of lessons about equity and understanding differences.
According to a statement from Superintendent Emily Tracy released this afternoon the note sent to parents of Sprunica Elementary School students earlier this week was “unauthorized” and it “erroneously” advised that parents could opt out of “certain instruction regarding Black History Month.”
“To be clear, our district does not permit students to opt out of history lessons — including ones based on historical injustices,” Tracy said in the statement.
“We apologize for the confusion caused by the letter and offer our assurances that Brown County Schools is committed to providing an inclusive educational environment for all students and families.”
The note was sent home from a staff member at Sprunica Elementary School informing families about lessons students were going to learn related to “equity, caring and understanding differences” in honor of Black History Month and Valentine’s Day.
The lessons were to happen from Feb. 14 to 25.
A photo of the note was initially posted to Facebook and soon went viral. TV news stations were outside of both Sprunica Elementary School and the school district’s administration building yesterday.
Read more about the note sent home to parents here.
