Students, parents urge board to retain ISL exemptions; trustees cite oversight and curriculum concerns

Several students and parents used the meeting’s public comment period to urge the board to retain the ISL program (the district’s independent-study/externship gym exemption) or to allow an adjusted model that would recognize outside providers.

Emily Smith, a Chatham High freshman, described dancing about 14 hours per week at an outside studio and urged the board to consider a model similar to the student internship program, where studios or other organizations could apply to be part of ISL and accept responsibility for scheduling and liability. Meredith Eckert Tumanaro described her son’s experience as a competitive rower who relied on ISL to meet academic and athletic commitments and said losing the program had real consequences for students balancing rigorous academics and high‑time extracurriculars.

Board members responded during the personnel section and after public comment that they support students’ extracurricular commitments but face statutory and administrative constraints. Miss Weber explained that state mandates require the district to certify that students meet curriculum requirements; allowing outside programs to substitute for district‑delivered physical education raises issues the district cannot easily audit. Trustees also cited concerns about background checks, staffing turnover at outside providers, and the district’s inability to oversee personnel at private organizations; they said those factors expose the district to potential liability and could jeopardize students’ credits if audited.

The board did not reverse its earlier decision about ISL during the meeting. Trustees encouraged continued dialogue and noted the district is open to exploring options but must satisfy state curriculum and auditing requirements before recognizing outside providers or returning to a previous exemption model.