Shrewsbury Equity Reports

DID YOU KNOW? Researchers have quantified the impact of air pollution on our community? This image shows our annual pollution-related health outcomes here in Shrewsbury.

Read more here: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/schiller-institute/sites/masscleanair.html

DID YOU KNOW? According to a recent study, individuals living in Massachusetts towns with the highest rates of gun ownership were 3.6 times more likely to die of firearm su***de than towns with the lowest rates of gun ownership? They were no more or less likely to die from non-gun su***des.

Read more here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4200315

DID YOU KNOW? The American Psychological Association issued a formal apology to People of Color in 2021?

Read more here:https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-racism-apology.pdf

DID YOU KNOW? The 2022 MCAS test results for 10 Grade mathematics show significant disparities at Shrewsbury High School?

Only 1% of Asian students and 3% of White students did not meet expectations. In contrast, 10% of African American students, 13% of English Language Learners, 15% of high needs students, 16% of Hispanic/Latino students, and 28% of students with disabilities did not meet expectations.

The gaps are even wider when you add the number of students that only partially met expectations.

See data here: https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/subgroups2.aspx?linkid=25&orgcode=02710000&fycode=2022&orgtypecode=5&

DID YOU KNOW? A 2022 report on Shrewsbury’s Teacher Diversification Project shows continued racial disparities between SPS students and staff, as well as disparities between different roles within the schools.

Learn more about the project here:https://campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/11162/b2004386-1ca3-11e6-b537-22000bd8490f/2432747/49eedef8-e7f1-11ec-9c6e-0aca6eca568d/file/Diversity%20in%20Hiring%20SC%20presentation%20June2022.pdf

DID YOU KNOW? According to a newly released study, home purchase loans to borrowers of color did not match their respective population shares. Black residents comprised 6.5 percent of the statewide population, yet only received 3.4 percent of conventional loans. Hispanic/Latinx residents comprised 12.6 percent of Massachusetts’ population, yet only received 6.6 percent of conventional loans.

Nationally and statewide, Black and Hispanic/Latinx households today are still far less likely than white households to own their own homes, in large part related to the historic disparities in wealth, supported by the practices of redlining, blockbusting, racial covenants, appraisal policies and exclusionary zoning, with effects to this day, potentially affecting financial institutions’ loans to people of color.

Shrewsbury data shown below. Read more here:https://financialequity.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MCBC-Mortgage-Report-2022.pdf

DID YOU KNOW? Hamilton is the first town in Massachusetts to mandate composting? Here in Shrewsbury, composting is only available through a private company.
https://www.hamiltonma.gov/government/waste-reduction-committee/organic-waste-program/

WHAT DO YOU THINK? A 2020 equity audit raised concerns about the concept of the “Shrewsbury way.” Please share any experience you’ve had with this and/or your thoughts on the use of the term.

Learn more here (“Shrewsbury way” referenced in the Representation and Tokenization section on page 29):https://campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/11162/b2004386-1ca3-11e6-b537-22000bd8490f/2119314/132d54a2-b6df-11ea-8847-0acc8effa653/file/SPS%20FINAL%20EQUITY%20AUDIT%20-%20June%2022,%202020.pdf

DID YOU KNOW? According to the Town Clerk, the first female Shrewsbury Selectboard member was June Tomaiolo in 1973. It took an additional 50 years for Shrewsbury to elect it's first non-White Selectboard member, Carlos Garcia, in 2023.

DID YOU KNOW? 52% of Shrewsbury residents voted against Question 1 in the 2022 election? (Question 1, which passed, amends our State Constitution to add 4 percentage points to the state’s income tax for annual earnings over $1 million.)

Read more here: https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2022/11/10/massachusetts-millionaires-tax-ballot-question-1-town-map/

DID YOU KNOW?

One of the Earliest Memorial Day Ceremonies Was Held by Freed African Americans At the close of the Civil War, people recently freed from slavery in Charleston honored fallen Union soldiers.

DID YOU KNOW? Beginning July 1, 2023, undocumented Massachusetts residents will be eligible for a Massachusetts driver's license, thanks to the Work & Family Mobility Act? This act had overwhelming legislative support and moved forward despite an attempted veto by Governor Baker. Senator Mike Moore voted in support of this Bill. State Representative Hannah Kane opposed it.

Learn more about the Work & Family Mobility Act here: https://www.mass.gov/guides/work-and-family-mobility-act-wfma
Read Michael Moore's statement here: https://www.senatormikemoore.com/new-blog/2022/5/16/senate-passes-work-and-family-mobility-act
Read Hannah Kane's statement here:http://www.rephannahkane.com/uploads/1/7/1/0/17106940/media_advisory_workfamilymobilityact.pdf

DID YOU KNOW? As of 2022, 56% of Massachusetts' most prominent Government Boards and Commissions have not reached gender parity (50% or higher women), and a full 32% have 30% or fewer women. The image below lists these Boards & Commissions.

Learn more here:https://womenspowergap.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WPG-2022-Public-Boards-Progress-Report-final-v4.pdf

DID YOU KNOW? Su***des make up over half of firearm deaths in the State of Massachusetts? A vast majority of firearm su***de deaths are men.

Read more here: https://preventfirearmsu***de.efsgv.org/states/massachusetts/

DID YOU KNOW? According to a 2022 Mental Health & Su***de Risk survey by The Trevor Project, 32% of surveyed Massachusetts LGBTQ youth reported that they experienced threat or harm based on sexual orientation or gender identity and 67% reported that they experienced discrimination on sexual orientation or gender identity?

Read more here:https://www.thetrevorproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/The-Trevor-Project-2022-National-Survey-on-LGBTQ-Youth-Mental-Health-by-State-Massachusetts.pdf

DID YOU KNOW? Because of the VOTES Act, you now have the right to electronic voting in the State of Massachusetts if you have a disability that prohibits you from voting otherwise. While several other towns mention this on their website, Shrewsbury does not.

Steps in the process:

1. Request a mail-in ballot here https://www.sec.state.ma.us/MailInRequestWeb/MailInBallot.aspx

2. While completing the request, check off the box requesting accommodations and include an email address

3. Once the Town Clerk receives your application and the ballots are ready, you will receive two emails from the Clerk: one with a link to a secure portal and another with a unique PIN to access the portal

4. Make your selections and return your ballot electronically through the portal!

DID YOU KNOW? At the time of the 2020 Equity Audit, 5% of Shrewsbury PTO parent leaders* and 33% of school council members were people of color.

Learn more here (last link on the last page):https://campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/11162/b2004386-1ca3-11e6-b537-22000bd8490f/2119314/132d54a2-b6df-11ea-8847-0acc8effa653/file/SPS%20FINAL%20EQUITY%20AUDIT%20-%20June%2022,%202020.pdf

*SHS Parent Forum excluded

Take a look at the language in these two municipal job postings. Which is more likely to attract a diverse group of applicants?

Links to full job descriptions in captions.

DID YOU KNOW? Dozens of towns across the State have implemented an electronic voting system at Town Meeting to increase accountability and efficiency? Shrewsbury created an Electronic Voting Study Committee in 2019 that recommended not to move forward with this locally.

Read about the initiative here: https://sustainableshrewsbury.org/electronic-voting/
Read the full Shrewsbury Electronic Voting Study Committee report here: https://shrewsburyma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5056/Electronic-Voting-Study-Committee----Town-Meeting-Final-Report

DID YOU KNOW? According to the most recent census data, Shrewsbury is only 68.1% White, but the Board of Directors for Shrewsbury Youth & Family Services, Inc. (SYFS), a local nonprofit that provides vital services for our community, is and has been almost 100% White?

See recent census information here: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/shrewsburytownworcestercountymassachusetts/SBO010217

See current Board of Directors here: https://syfs-ma.org/about-us/board-of-directors/

DID YOU KNOW? The most current business census data from 2017 shows that only 17% of the 705 employment firms in Shrewsbury were identified as female-owned and only 10% of the 705 were identified as minority-owned?

Learn more here: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/shrewsburytownworcestercountymassachusetts/SBO010217

DID YOU KNOW? As of late 2021, Shrewsbury ranked 160th out of 182 districts on gender parity in leadership positions.

Learn more here (this ranking spans pages 18-24):https://www.renniecenter.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/K12%20Power%20Gap.pdf

DID YOU KNOW? According to a recent report, only 31 districts in Massachusetts have never had a permanent woman superintendent and 143 districts have never had a permanent superintendent of color? Shrewsbury is on both of these lists.

Learn more here:https://www.renniecenter.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/K12%20Power%20Gap.pdf

DID YOU KNOW? A 2022 town-wide ADA evaluation shows that only one of the five elementary school playgrounds in Shrewsbury has an ADA-compliant ground surface.

Learn more here (schools are covered on pages 154-366): https://shrewsburyma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12930/Town-of-Shrewsbury---ADA-Self-Evaluation-and-Transition-Plan-2022

DID YOU KNOW? A 2021 survey of SHS students shows that students of color have disproportionately higher rates of feeling sad or hopeless, considering su***de and making a su***de plan?

Learn more here:https://campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/11162/b2004386-1ca3-11e6-b537-22000bd8490f/2574265/424edb48-ce6a-11ed-95e9-02b79608827b/file/Mental%20Health%20and%20Counseling%20Slides%203-23.pdf

DID YOU KNOW? The most recent MCAS testing data from 2022 shows continued disparities in test scores across our elementary schools? (Note: Since Beal is new, this data is not available yet.)

Learn more here:

Spring: https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/achievement_level.aspx?linkid=32&orgcode=02710035&orgtypecode=6&

Coolidge: https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/achievement_level.aspx?linkid=32&orgcode=02710015&orgtypecode=6&

Paton: https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/achievement_level.aspx?linkid=32&orgcode=02710025&orgtypecode=6&

Floral: https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/achievement_level.aspx?linkid=32&orgcode=02710020&orgtypecode=6&

DID YOU KNOW? The most recent data on the Massachusetts Department of Education website shows that English Language Learners and students with disabilities are disproportionately disciplined in our district?

Learn more here:
https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/ssdr/default.aspx?orgcode=02710000&orgtypecode=5&=02710000&