The Limestone District School Board is committed to equity, inclusion and ensuring everyone feels a strong sense of belonging. To help understand student identity, lived experience and ability, the board conducted its first-ever student census in Fall 2020.

The voluntary and confidential See Yourself in Limestone Student Census 2020 asked a series of questions around identity and demographics. The survey was guided by the input of students, families and community partners through conversations with stakeholders, focus groups, and survey development which began in 2018.

Each question was designed to help the board learn more about students – their backgrounds, experiences and needs – to identify potential barriers or gaps, and to determine how to eliminate discriminatory biases in our classes and schools as outlined in the Ontario Education Equity Action Plan. The overall goal of the student census is to improve achievement and well-being by identifying opportunities to help all students succeed.

The census was completed by students in Grades 4 to 12 during supervised class time between November and  December 2020. Families of Kindergarten to Grade 3 students were invited to participate at home. More than 10,000 total surveys were completed by students and families – an overall response rate of 55 per cent. Among student-only surveys, Limestone’s response rate was 76 per cent.

Staff will take the next several months to understand the data, and engage in conversations with stakeholders. Staff will compile a series of themed reports to help share the data with school communities.