Parents, students and coaches urge Madison district to reinstate inclusion for West High swim team

Dozens of students, parents and community members urged the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education to reverse a recent decision to remove students with disabilities from the Madison West High School girls swim and dive team and to adopt district‑wide policies that make participation inclusive.

Public commenters said the cut affected at least two students they named — Asha Shukla and Aurelia (last name not specified in testimony) — who had practiced with West as exhibition or non‑scoring swimmers for the past one to two seasons. Parents and students said West’s head coach, Amanda Elmaker, had previously allowed exhibition participation and that the team’s new cuts were announced with little or no individualized explanation.

Speakers said the decision did not appear to follow the individualized inquiry that federal guidance requires before denying a requested accommodation. “The district has not shown us why they made their decision,” said Asha Shukla, identifying herself as a senior at West High School. “The district has not given us any…