Sunday, May 5, 2024
After conducting a survey in which 74% of 70 GISD staffers said they oppose homeschooled students being allowed to participate in UIL activities, the Granbury School Board voted 5-2 to create a policy that, pending trustee approval, would allow it.
The trustees who approved the action were Mark Jackson, Barbara Townsend, Courtney Gore, Melanie Graft and Paula McDonald. Those who voted no were Barbara Herrington and Mike Moore.
If a policy establishing guidelines is approved and the board agrees to make the change, the GISD will be among a small number of school districts in the state to align with House Bill 547, legislation that authorizes equal opportunity for access by non-enrolled students to activities of the University Interscholastic League.
School districts are not required to grant such access.
The UIL provides educational extracurricular academic, athletic and music contests. According to the organization’s website, the UIL was created by the University of Texas at Austin in 1910 and has grown into the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world.
The agenda item at the Granbury School Board’s recent regular meeting to “discuss and consider policy and/or procedures regarding HB 547” was requested by Graft, whose children are homeschooled.
The discussion, which lasted about half an hour, began with a report from head football coach Chad Zschiesche and girls basketball head coach Alan Thorpe on the in-district survey conducted at the request of the school board.
Zschiesche said that the 70 school district employees who participated included 47 athletic coaches, 10 fine arts teachers or directors, nine UIL academic coaches and four UIL program directors.
He stated that 52 staffers (74.3%) expressed that they are opposed to non-enrolled students being allowed to participate in UIL activities, while 12 (17.1%) reported that they are “on the fence” with no firm opinion and six (8.6%) said they support it or are open to the idea.
Survey participants had the opportunity to write comments.
According to Zschiesche, concerns expressed through written comments included whether academic accountability and standards would be equal between enrolled and non-enrolled students; how the inclusion of homeschoolers might affect “team culture” and “camaraderie;” whether the “daily grind” of homeschoolers is comparable to that of public school students, who have six academic classes in addition to extracurricular activities; and a preference among teachers that students in UIL also receive instruction from them in the classroom, which they feel is equally important.
Zschiesche stated that 21 schools in Texas are currently allowing non-enrolled students to participate in extracurricular activities. Out of 253 5A school districts, the category that includes GISD, two school districts are allowing homeschooler participation.
Out of 247 6A school districts, which GISD is headed toward, the number of school districts participating in the plan is also two, the coach stated. He noted that currently homeschoolers do not count toward a district’s classification.
DISCUSSION
McDonald suggested that GISD create a pilot program to increase the chance for success, which might result in the program becoming a model for other school districts.
She also suggested designating a staffer to serve as the “gatekeeper;” creating a portal on the district’s website where parents would be required to upload their children’s grades; and requiring parents of homeschoolers to attend the same meetings that public school parents are required to attend.
During the discussion, concerns were expressed about increased pressures placed on GISD staff and how the same rules that apply to public school students who participate in UIL, such as No Pass No Play and no illicit drug use, would be enforced with homeschooled students.
Jackson asked how the item was placed on the agenda — whether it was at the request of a trustee or due to “immense demand” from the community.
Superintendent Jeremy Glenn said that it was at the request of a trustee but noted that parents had “reached out” to him as well. (Glenn later confirmed to the Hood County News that the trustee was Graft.)
Under questioning from Jackson, Glenn said that the number of people who contacted him about HB 547 was less than 10.
Jackson stated that he did not oppose allowing homeschoolers to participate in UIL activities and noted that those parents pay taxes, but he expressed concerns about whether the plan is practical.
He said that implementation of new programs involves “expense and immense administrative tasks.”
Herrington said she had “heart burn” about approving a policy after district staff “overwhelmingly said no.”
She stated, “If we’re not going to take their recommendation, we shouldn’t ask them.”
McDonald replied that she did not hear “a resounding no,” but rather a view that it needs to be done right.
Townsend, the school board president, said that coaches in the Weatherford ISD “gave a resounding no” to the idea but, according to Weatherford ISD School Board President Mike Guest, said at the end of the school year that the program “worked pretty good.”
She stated that there was perhaps “fear of the unknown” where the proposed change was concerned and pointed out that if the program proved problematic, it could be discontinued.
Graft said that homeschoolers tend to do well academically and have “high community and civic involvement,” with 98% participating in five activities outside the home.
She said that her own children “do have grades every six weeks” and take the Iowa Assessments test every year. The assessments gauge students’ skills in reading, language, mathematics, social studies and science.
Graft said that allowing homeschooled students to participate in UIL was something that she campaigned on before being elected to the school board.
“It’s obviously something that our community and voters are wanting because times are changing,” she said.
THE VOTE
Jackson indicated that he did not want to adopt the change with no policy in place and also did not want to approve a policy that has not yet been drafted.
“Let’s get the horse before the cart,” he said.
Jackson made a motion to “construct a policy to allow homeschooled children per HB 547 to participate in UIL activities in Granbury ISD subject to final approval by the board.”
Graft seconded the motion.
After the motion was approved in a majority vote, Glenn stated that a proposed policy will be brought before the school board sometime this summer.
