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Parents, athletes press board about changes to high school 0-hour program during public comment
Summary
Multiple speakers urged the board to reconsider changes to the high school's 0-hour program and to preserve in-person options for student-athletes, saying the announced changes were implemented without sufficient parent and student engagement.
Several members of the public used the Feb. 10 public-comment period to press the board for information and action after changes to Steamboat Springs High School's 0-hour schedule were announced.
Scott Kemp, a parent of two high-school athletes, said he and other parents learned about the decision only after it appeared to be complete. Reading from a letter he had co-signed, Kemp argued that "equity is not a zero-sum game" and urged the district to ensure any changes preserve opportunity for students who rely on 0-hour scheduling to balance athletics, work and family responsibilities.
Jillian Morris, a community member, said she had been disappointed with how the change was handled. "The topic of 0 hour came very fast at this community, and it has been tossed around like a hot potato since," she told the board. Morris said the 0-hour tradition stretches back decades and that demand for the option exceeded available slots this year; she noted that "50 additional students were denied the opportunity to take 0 hour this year."
Speakers asked the board to reopen discussion, consider expanding in-person 0-hour options rather than pushing students to online classes, and to ensure families and SAC (School Accountability Committee) participants are consulted before program changes are finalized. The transcript records that some parents had been directed to SAC meetings and that community members felt the process lacked timely prior engagement.
Board members acknowledged the comments and said the meeting format limits extended discussion during public comment. The board encouraged commenters to follow up with staff and to request future agenda placement for more detailed discussion; no formal action or vote on the 0-hour program was recorded at the Feb. 10 meeting.
