The community outcry prompted board member Glen Peterson to suggest to recall the amendment made by board member John Eaton so the voting could proceed.
The diversity plan developed by independent third party Austin attorney was changed by Eaton that sparked more anger from the community.
Steve Miller, a Bastrop ISD parent who fought tirelessly for a diversity plan in the district, said that Eaton tried to change the racial make up of the committee that would implement it.
“The net effect of the amendment was to strip all the African Americans off the diversity plan and replace them with two of their own choosing. So, the community that pushed for the diversity plan doesn’t even have representatives on it,” said Miller.
Eaton expressed his suggested changes to the diversity plan would better address long term goals – by not focusing so much on hiring minority teachers and instead fix the academic and economic gap in the school district.
“My intent is spend our precious resources we have in these very tough economic times to educate absolutely every one of our kids, and if we can’t spend some money we need to spend some money on getting kids in school districts, that are struggling, to be successful. If we can’t get them over that hump, academically, what’s their life going to be like,” said Eaton.
Eaton admitted not consulting with the attorney who drew up the diversity plan before making his amendments.
He said that his suggestions were based on conversations he had with that attorney.
“I am so ready to move past this, not just in my area, but just in the world. We can come together and do what we need to do as a human race and stop looking at color and ethnicity so much,” said Bastrop ISD President Ty McDonald following the scheduled voting.
The outrage of the Bastrop ISD took heat again way back in February last year when a Middle School principal asked only African American students to meet with her to discuss performance on TAKS tests.
The Middle School Board is set to vote on the diversity plan on January 17.