Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment Running Start Cap topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parent urges RPS 205 to change Running Start transfer policy, says it harms students' mental health
Summary
During the petition and communication portion, a parent of a student in CAPA and gifted programs at Auburn described how a district policy requiring program students who enroll in Running Start to transfer back to their home school harms mental health and severs extracurricular ties; the parent said district responses were slow.
A parent addressed the board during the petition and communication portion to object to a district policy that the speaker said requires students in special programs at Auburn High School to transfer to their home high school if they participate in Running Start (dual‑credit classes at Rock Valley). The speaker said her daughter participates in CAPA and gifted programs and that leaving Auburn would also disrupt athletics and technical theater participation.
The speaker, identified in the meeting as Miss Feldman, said she sought administrative help and that it took “seven days and 15 emails” to get a response. She quoted the superintendent as saying, “we believe this change will help preserve the CAPA and gifted offerings,” and said the policy feels designed to preserve programs rather than protect individual students’ mental health.
“Make no mistake, this is a district level decision that was made to coerce students into staying at Auburn by making leaving more emotionally difficult,” Feldman told the board. She asked the board to prioritize students’ mental health and criticized the policy’s practical effect on families weighing Running Start opportunities.
Board members did not respond during the meeting; the presiding officer thanked the speaker for her comments and closed the public comment period. Administration did not announce immediate policy changes; the speaker said she would continue to advocate for her child.
