BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor School District is taking their school culture under the magnifying glass to address any disparities and create an inclusive school environment.
In 2020, the school formed a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee to help steer schools toward a more inclusive environment.
Continuing that work, Bangor schools have partnered with The University of Maine's College of Education and Human Development to prepare an audit and survey of the schools.
UMaine took data from each school, taking a look at factors like attendance, tardiness, grades and extra-curriculars to see where pitfalls may be, as well as surveyed teachers, students and community members on any experiences or opinions they had on the school's environment.
The study also took into account student's race, gender, and socioeconomic status.
The results of the study were then presented to the school board earlier this month, with results indicating some students need more support at school.
Superintendent James Tager said data showed a big disparity for students who are enrolled in the school's free or reduced lunch program.
"There was evidence that students who are free and reduced [price] lunch were late to school more often, they were absent more often, and they had less opportunities to be in extracurricular activities," Tager said.
"Academic excellence is a big priority in the Bangor schools, and that's something the study said we are doing very well. But the question that we had is can we do even better with that if we can give all students a sense of belonging," Tager added.
Tager said moving forward, teachers and principals across the Bangor schools have drafted goals to make a sense of belonging a priority for every student, and that this is an ongoing discussion throughout the district.
Last year, Bangor schools partnered with UMaine for the first time, offering three courses for Bangor educators to learn more on identifying racial disparities, bias and how to foster an inclusive atmosphere.