Reference Board Policy 1004.05

“There are to be no school-sponsored activities on Sunday unless Superintendent approved.”

For students and community members who are unaware, this Family Night Board Policy has been a part of the school board’s policy for a long time—since 1984, in fact. The policy is designed to allow students to not only be with their families but also allow them to participate in church-related events on Sundays. It’s a rule that, up until now, has not been closely followed. Allow me to explain.

The situation began when play director Tina Ostrander asked Dr. Kristen Rickey permission to hold a Sunday performance for the spring play. For over 13 years, the spring play has been performed on a Sunday and has had the highest ticket sales compared to the Friday and Saturday performances.

However, money was not the issue to the school board. The issue was that it was on Sunday, and that meant a no-go.

I didn’t get it because I didn’t understand why they would just take something like this away. Seriously, for the past 13 years, students have performed on Sundays, even with the board policy in place. I saw no difference between this year and the previous years.

Students and parents alike tried to sway the school board on a policy that had never previously been a problem, but the board fought back and soon the idea of a Sunday show disappeared.

I spoke to Dr. Rickey about the decision and how the decisions are made, and she explained how the school board functions on this matter.

The school board has given Rickey the power to make the final decision as to whether or not an event can break this family night policy. In order to be fair with what Sundays may be used for, she created a list of questions in order to make sure every group is treated the same.

Following is her list of questions:  

Is it necessary or is it optional?

Rickey considers whether or not students are missing out on opportunities if the event is not to occur.

Is it scheduled by an outside organization?

Rickey considers if the event’s scheduling is out of the control of the district.

Is there a sudden competition that needs to be prepared for?

Rickey considers if there’s an event coming up quickly that students may not have been able to prepare for.

If others don’t apply: Is there any other day available?

This one is self-explanatory: Rickey considers why the day must be Sunday.

And these make sense. The questions are a sure-fire way to create fairness throughout the policy.

However, in spite of these questions, other activities have still found ways around this rule. Camps, tournaments, and performances have all found their way to bypass this school policy.

In the name of fairness, I encourage the school board to rethink this policy.