North Allegheny School Board Votes To Approve Diversity Training

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Just after midnight, the North Allegheny School Board voted 5-4 to approve diversity training.

The training will cost the district $10,000 and it will be for administrative, committee, and school board members.

In fact, the school board president said that about 60 out of the 1,300 staff members will be trained.

RELATED: North Allegheny Parents And Students Debate Diversity Training In School District

The Pennsylvania School Board Association will provide the training.

Prior to the approval, we talked with students, parents, and community members about the proposal and some believe that it will create a more inclusive school climate while others say there needs to be more research.

"NA For Change" is the group that has been making the push for the training. It's made up of students, alumni, parents, educators, and community members who want students to feel more part of the classroom.

"It all comes down to uplifting more students because this diversity training is going to benefit everyone," said Sam Podnar a student and member of NA For Change.

"The program has underlying issues coming from the PA school board associations that have recently put out the documentation that has a lot of language that has its root in the critical race theory," said Karyn Coy, a parent and community member.

Some on the school board have said it's time there's more organization on trainings like this one.

"It's going to prevent us from having situations where teachers have kind of gone on their own to do diversity training on their own and those programs haven't gone that well for North Allegheny," said Andrew Chomos, school board president. "It's far better to have an organized effort."

The training will be used to develop North Allegheny School District diversity, equity, and inclusion activities and will begin this week.