AMS robotics coach urges district to allow team travel to Chino Hills tournament; parents offer to pay hotels

Anthony Hopper, the after‑school robotics teacher at Atascadero Middle School, asked the Atascadero Unified School District Board of Trustees to allow his team to travel to a paid tournament in Chino Hills on Feb. 15, saying overnight stays or very early departures are unavoidable for Central Coast teams.

Hopper said the team’s tournament logistics require travel that would mean leaving at about 2:30 a.m. to arrive for practice and check‑in, or an overnight stay the night before. “I get paid $2,100 a year. That’s $2,100 a year, a stipend position, for something I do for 10 months,” Hopper said, describing the time he volunteers and the community support behind the program.

Parents and students who spoke during public comment urged the district to permit the trip. Jacqueline Sonixson, a parent, wrote in an email read to the board that parents are “extremely disappointed” and that some have already paid for hotels; she asked the district to “seriously reconsider” the principal’s decision. Lilia Vergara, another parent, said her 11‑year‑old son has participated since fourth grade and that allowing the trip would show that “all his effort will have a reward.” Student speakers from the team described what they’ve learned in the program and asked to compete.

During the board’s public comment response, Superintendent Phil Butler said district staff heard the concerns and would follow up. “I can’t give you a definitive answer right now, but I will follow‑up with Mr. Spiller and look if there aren’t some other things that we can consider and have some of that dialogue tomorrow, and then we’ll get back to you, Mr. Hopper,” Butler told the meeting.

No formal board action was taken at the meeting. Hopper said some parents had offered to pay for hotel rooms and that families could drive independently if the district did not provide transportation.

Why it matters: District travel rules affect extracurricular access for students whose events require long drives from rural and Central Coast communities. Parents and staff framed the request as an equity and educational opportunity issue: tournaments give students experience, competition exposure and continuity with high‑school programs.

Next steps: Butler told Hopper the district would review the situation with Principal Jeff Spiller and communicate with families the following day.