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Parents and middle‑school athletes press board to add weight rooms at Madison/James Madison
Summary
During public input, several Madison Middle School families and student athletes asked the board to provide a weight room at the middle-school level so students can lift on site and reduce reliance on external gyms.
Multiple parents, coaches and middle‑school athletes used the public‑comment period to request that the district provide on‑site weight rooms at some middle schools.
Dana Chergy, a Madison parent, said many rival middle schools have weight‑room programs and argued Appleton students are missing the strength and injury‑prevention benefits such access provides. “We believe East families and students should be able to have the same opportunities that other students have at the middle school,” Chergy told the board.
Eighth‑grader Carter Berndt described driving to commercial gyms to lift and said having a school weight room would make it easier to lift after school with teammates. Another Madison student, Kian Vra, said equipment disparities make rival schools “bigger and faster” and urged the district to supply better facilities.
Coach and parent Alonzo Hodges said he currently takes athletes to Planet Fitness and other commercial facilities and that a school weight room would let students train immediately after practice and be better prepared for competition.
Board president Kaye Eggert reminded speakers that the public‑comment rules ask commenters not to identify individual staff or students and that the board cannot fully respond to off‑agenda topics at the meeting. No board vote or staff directive on weight‑room funding was taken at the meeting; the comments were recorded for staff follow‑up.
