Board asked to consider facilities-use policy
GENTRY — The Gentry School Board, at its Oct. 21 meeting, heard concerns about the school district’s policy related to the public use of school facilities and was asked to review information related to sports and school-sponsored athletic trips or transportation.
Terrie Metz, superintendent of Gentry Public Schools, told the board that Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 requires equal opportunity for athletes, whether male or female. She asked board members to consider recent court rulings under the federal law.
Under the federal provision, which is connected to receiving federal funds, she said, the school district is required to provide equal opportunities to athletes, with no discrimination based upon the gender of the athlete.
Metz explained that, if the school district allows the boys’ baseball team to take a schoolsanctioned trip to play baseball during spring break, it would also be required to provide the same opportunity for the girls’
softball team even if the district had to foot the whole bill to do so. She explained that court rulings on the law would require the school district to provide and pay to provide equal opportunities for athletes. The only way to avoid that obligation is for the school district not to be in any way involved in special trips or activities — which would mean no school transportation, school equipment, school uniforms, etc.
Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Metz also asked the board to review the district’s policy regarding the use of school facilities since it requires a school representative to be present at all such activities and is not to conflict with the schools’ use of the facilities. She said the district is often using its facilities late into the evening hours. She also said there have been problems in regard to the public using equipment which cannot be stored away securely, and there have been issues related to those using school property not cleaning up afterward, resulting in additional costs to the district.
She said the current policy does not permit the use of school facilities for activities that are for-profit, mentioning the fact that a for-profit event is currently planned in the Carl Gym.
Metz said she also had questions regarding liability for the school district when facilities are open and potentially dangerous use of equipment and activities are allowed.
She said the school district currently had no memorandum of understanding with the Gentry
Youth Organization for its use of the facilities.
Metz said lack of storage in the PAC building forces the district to leave a lot of equipment out on the floor, which could pose a safety issue for the public or could cause the equipment to be damaged.
Metz said she wanted the board to review the current policy because of current problems.
“I’m asking the board to read through the policy and then decide how best to handle [this,]” Metz said.
The board approved on a first reading an increase in the rate of pay for substitute teachers to $90 per day for non-certified substitutes and $100 per day for certified teachers. The increase was recommended by Metz to comply with the upcoming minimum wage increases.
Also, put on its first reading was a policy change regarding drugs and alcohol. The proposed change removes the suspension provisions for first and second offenses and requires reporting to law enforcement and a recommendation of expulsion for any offense involving the possession, distribution or attempted distribution of any substances or paraphernalia listed in the policy.
The board accepted the resignation of Robyn Welch as the primary school nurse and approved the hiring of Shelley Lane as a special education paraprofessional.
Christie Toland, assistant superintendent of schools, told board members the district will be participating in a program called Opportunity Culture, in which teams of teachers and school leaders must choose and tailor models to:
1) Reach more students with excellent teachers and their teams;
2) Pay teachers more for extending their reach;
3) Fund pay within regular budgets;
4) Provide protected in-school time and clarity about how to use it for planning, collaboration and development; and
5) Match authority and accountability to each person’s responsibilities.
Similar principles will also be applied to teams of principals and district or network leaders, according to the Opportunity Culture website.