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Alumni ask Marion County School Board to restore midnight tailgate end time; board to hold special meeting
Summary
Alumni and community members urged the Marion County School District board to restore a midnight cutoff for homecoming tailgates, arguing the revised guidance shortens time and raises fees; the board said it would take the request under advisement and schedule a special-called meeting by the end of the week to consider changes.
Alumni and community members asked the Marion County School District Board on a school-board meeting night to restore a midnight end time for homecoming tailgating and to give tailgaters more setup time and clearer community input.
Miss Bridges, who said she was speaking on behalf of several classes and alumni groups, told the board that new guidance approved Aug. 11 shortens the setup and teardown window and raises fees. "Our request to you is to consider what is on here and allow us to 12:00," she said, asking that tailgating activities be allowed to conclude at midnight rather than 10:30 p.m.
Bridges said changes in the guidance moved from "reminders" last year to stricter "guidelines" this year, that the fee has increased (from $150 to $200 for a cited example of 36 tailgate stations), and that the shorter timeframe would reduce the value of the fundraiser. She asked for community involvement before rules were finalized and said groups would withhold payment until the board provided clarity.
Board members responded that the item was not on the published agenda for a formal vote that night. A board officer said the board could take the matter under advisement and, if desired, schedule a special-called meeting to consider it. The board subsequently said it would aim to hold a special-called meeting by the end of the week to address the concern and promised district administrators would work with the board on a recommendation.
The board did not vote on a change at the meeting. District staff said administrators would prepare a recommendation for the board; members and Bridges agreed to a follow-up meeting to try to finalize guidance in time for the upcoming homecoming events.
A timeline for the special-called meeting or a revised written policy was not provided during the meeting; the board said it would issue meeting details after members conferred with the superintendent and administrators.
