Shawnee Mission School District promotes affinity groups for staff and students

The Shawnee Mission School District promotes affinity groups for students and staff online. The district’s website has a document online titled “SMSD Affinity Groups.” The document explains that the district “is supporting the establishment of affinity groups, which are assemblies of underrepresented individuals (e.g. LGBTQ+, Hispanic, African American, Jewish, Muslim, etc.) who share common interests, backgrounds, and experiences and who come together to support each other and the district.” The document adds that the “affinity groups are intended to support our underrepresented staff, students and the Shawnee Mission School District.”

Affinity groups are groups of people segregated by their characteristics, such as race and ethnicity. The document explains that “these groups will exist at the desire of students or staff members of a school feeder pattern” and that “a district administrator will be assigned to support each affinity group.” These affinity groups started in January 2021 and will “continue as interest is expressed.”

Another affinity group document on the school district’s website has a list of four affinity groups that appear active. These groups are titled “Black Staff Affinity Group,” “Asian Staff Affinity Group,” “LGBTQ+ Staff Affinity Group,” and “LatinX Affinity Group.”