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East Maine School District 63

Empowering all students to succeed in a changing world

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

East Maine District 63 Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Belief Statement 
Approved by the District 63 Board of Education on January 12, 2023

  • We recognize, embrace, and defend the many identities, abilities, and voices that make up our District 63 community and view them as assets.
  • We commit to fostering equitable systems, inclusive spaces, and supportive learning environments in which all students, families, and staff experience a true sense of belonging.

At D63 . . .

  • Equity means: providing the resources each individual needs to succeed, which differs from person to person, as opposed to providing the same to all (which is equality).
  • Diversity means: a range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs.
  • Inclusion means: creating and sustaining systems that eliminate discrimination and intolerance, provide access to opportunities, and embrace all people and abilities.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

District 63 is committed to improving educational outcomes by ensuring equitable treatment for all students and by addressing and eliminating practices, policies, and institutional barriers that perpetuate opportunity and achievement gaps and lead to any student feeling unsafe in our buildings.

To achieve this goal, it’s essential that D63 staff and families collaborate and work in parallel to support students’ academic and socio-emotional needs. Ultimately, our work is centered on ensuring that all D63 children have access to a high-quality curriculum that fosters critical thinking, resourcefulness, and curiosity, and provides opportunities to pursue their passions and follow their unique pathways to success. 

East Maine District 63 Hate Speech Protocol 
Approved by the Board of Education on April 6, 2023

All District 63 rules and expectations for students are summarized in our Student/Parent Handbook - Chapter 6: Discipline and Conduct. Below are rules that relate to equity and diversity; specific policies are detailed in the section below.

  • General Building Conduct: D63 students are expected to treat everyone with respect and dignity at all times and under all circumstances.
  • Prohibited Student Conduct: Engaging in bullying, hazing, or any kind of aggressive behavior that does physical or psychological harm to a staff person or another student or encouraging other students to engage in such behavior. Prohibited conduct specifically includes, without limitation, any use of violence, intimidation, force, noise, coercion, threats, stalking, harassment, sexual harassment, public humiliation, theft, or destruction of property, retaliation, hazing, bullying, bullying using a school computer or a school computer network or other comparable conduct.
  • Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, Harassment: Bullying on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, military status, unfavorable discharge status from the military service, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender-related identity or expression, ancestry, age, religion, physical or mental disability, order of protection status, status of being homeless, or actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy, association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics, or any other distinguishing characteristic is prohibited.
  • Harassment Prohibited: No person, including a school or school district employee or agent, or student, shall harass, intimidate, or bully a student on the basis of actual or perceived: race; color; national origin; military status; unfavorable discharge status from military service; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity, gender-related identity or expression; ancestry; age; religion; physical or mental disability; order of protection status; status of being homeless; actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy; association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics; or any other distinguishing characteristic.

District Policies & Protocol
Most of the specific, formal Board policies relating to equity and diversity can be found in Section Seven - Students of our online Policy Manual.

  • 7:10 Equal Educational Opportunities: Equal educational and extracurricular opportunities shall be available for all students without regard to color, race, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, gender identity, status of being homeless, immigration status, order of protection status, actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy.
  • 7:20 Harassment of Students Prohibited: No person, including a School District employee or agent, or student, shall harass, intimidate, or bully a student on the basis of actual or perceived: race; color; national origin; military status; unfavorable discharge status from military service; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity; gender-related identity or expression; ancestry; age; religion; physical or mental disability; order of protection status; status of being homeless; actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy; association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics; or any other distinguishing characteristic.
  • 7:160 Student Appearance: The District does not prohibit hairstyles historically associated with race, ethnicity, or hair texture, including, but not limited to, protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists.
  • 7:180 Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment: Bullying on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, military status, unfavorable discharge status from the military service, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender-related identity or expression, ancestry, age, religion, physical or mental disability, order of protection status, status of being homeless, or actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy, association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics, or any other distinguishing characteristic is prohibited

  • East Maine District 63 Hate Speech Protocol 
    Approved by the Board of Education on April 6, 2023

    All District 63 rules and expectations for students are summarized in our Student/Parent Handbook - Chapter 6: Discipline and Conduct. Below are rules that relate to equity and diversity; specific policies are detailed in the section below.

    • General Building Conduct: D63 students are expected to treat everyone with respect and dignity at all times and under all circumstances.
    • Prohibited Student Conduct: Engaging in bullying, hazing, or any kind of aggressive behavior that does physical or psychological harm to a staff person or another student or encouraging other students to engage in such behavior. Prohibited conduct specifically includes, without limitation, any use of violence, intimidation, force, noise, coercion, threats, stalking, harassment, sexual harassment, public humiliation, theft, or destruction of property, retaliation, hazing, bullying, bullying using a school computer or a school computer network or other comparable conduct.
    • Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, Harassment: Bullying on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, military status, unfavorable discharge status from the military service, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender-related identity or expression, ancestry, age, religion, physical or mental disability, order of protection status, status of being homeless, or actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy, association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics, or any other distinguishing characteristic is prohibited.
    • Harassment Prohibited: No person, including a school or school district employee or agent, or student, shall harass, intimidate, or bully a student on the basis of actual or perceived: race; color; national origin; military status; unfavorable discharge status from military service; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity, gender-related identity or expression; ancestry; age; religion; physical or mental disability; order of protection status; status of being homeless; actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy; association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics; or any other distinguishing characteristic.

  • District Policies & Protocol
    Most of the specific, formal Board policies relating to equity and diversity can be found in Section Seven - Students of our online Policy Manual.

    • 7:10 Equal Educational Opportunities: Equal educational and extracurricular opportunities shall be available for all students without regard to color, race, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, gender identity, status of being homeless, immigration status, order of protection status, actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy.
    • 7:20 Harassment of Students Prohibited: No person, including a School District employee or agent, or student, shall harass, intimidate, or bully a student on the basis of actual or perceived: race; color; national origin; military status; unfavorable discharge status from military service; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity; gender-related identity or expression; ancestry; age; religion; physical or mental disability; order of protection status; status of being homeless; actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy; association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics; or any other distinguishing characteristic.
    • 7:160 Student Appearance: The District does not prohibit hairstyles historically associated with race, ethnicity, or hair texture, including, but not limited to, protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists.
    • 7:180 Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment: Bullying on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, military status, unfavorable discharge status from the military service, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender-related identity or expression, ancestry, age, religion, physical or mental disability, order of protection status, status of being homeless, or actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy, association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics, or any other distinguishing characteristic is prohibited