Forest Lake school board hears dozens of speakers urging retention of student clubs as policy changes loom

Dozens of students, teachers and community members urged the Forest Lake Area Schools board to keep school clubs and staff support as the district moves to adopt new model policies that would replace district policy 507.

Speakers came during the district's allotted public comment period on May 1 and addressed proposed policy updates labeled in district materials as 15-10 and 18-01, model policies from the Minnesota School Boards Association. "These clubs are critical for this district because they help students feel like they belong," said Rob Rayfield, identifying himself as a Scandia resident and former board member. "Without that feeling that they belong, their academics suffer."

The public comments stretched for more than an hour. Member Christensen told the board that the listening session included at least 12 people speaking about changes to student-activities policy; she said a community petition had more than 1,200 signatures. Several speakers described clubs as extensions of the curriculum and urged the board not to create barriers that would make clubs…