Trustees discuss engaging community to help students
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RONAN – During Ronan School District’s regularly scheduled school board meeting last April 11, a lengthy discussion took place regarding eligibility requirements for athletes and participants in extra-curricular activities. Tom Anderson, a new trustee at the time, requested that he meet with trustees and Athletic Director Lucky Larson to further discuss the issue.
“I used to think the board should change the policy,” Anderson said. “But I found out the policy was working.”
Anderson said his discussions included brainstorming ideas of having the board reach out to the community and ask for their help in holding a higher standard for all students. Current athletic handbook policy allows students to continue participating in sport activities with one or two F’s, depending on their total number of courses taken.
According to Anderson, athletics are self-policing, with many student athletes doing very well in the classroom, many who have no F’s at all.
“We have many kids not in athletics who have two F’s,” Anderson said. “They all have different stories, situations and issues to deal with. You can’t put one policy across the board for all students because they are all on different levels.”
Anderson said it will require more than just help from teachers, but also strong community support to reach all of the students. He then brought up Superintendent Andy Holmlund as an example.
“Andy was adopted by parents who prepared him for life,” Anderson said. “If he stayed in the same place he was he probably would be living a different lifestyle. It took teachers and community to help him take opportunities and move on.”
Trustees will continue to meet to brainstorm ideas to move forward.
“It will effect the whole school to raise the level to no F’s,” Anderson said. “It will take more than policy writing because everyone’s on a different playing field.”
During Holmlund’s report, he informed trustees of the potential gain of the bond market at this time, concerning bonds purchased during construction of Ronan Middle School. Holmlund suggested the date of Aug 16 at 5 p.m. to meet with Debra Silk and Lance Melton for strategic planning.
In other business, trustees approved a list of extra-curricular hires for the 2011-12 school year, and also approved a list of personnel hired for the upcoming year.
