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Board declines to amend student-group policy after public appeals to allow outside students in theater
Summary
Public speakers urged Milan Area Schools to allow charter and consortium students to participate in high school theater; the board’s learning-environment committee recommended not changing Policy 5840 and the full board agreed, citing equity, insurance and precedent concerns.
The Milan Area Schools Board of Education heard about a dozen public comments Jan. 14 urging the district to allow students who attend nearby charter or consortium schools to participate in Milan High School extracurriculars — specifically the theater program — but the board decided not to amend Policy 5840, the district’s student-group eligibility policy.
Why it matters: The decision preserves the existing rule that school-sponsored student organizations must be composed of current district students and raises questions about alternative approaches by community groups or facility-sharing arrangements.
What the public said - Cheyenne Fralick, a Milan High School senior and theater participant, told the board the department has dwindling cast and crew numbers and asked that Policy 5840 be revisited so outside students can help sustain productions. - Rebecca Cooper and other parents described situations in which students enrolled at the charter Washtenaw Technical Middle College (WTMC) had participated in recent Milan productions and asked the board to consider arrangements that would allow their children to continue participating. - Parents and supporters said auditions did not exclude current students and that allowing additional participants had helped the district produce larger shows.
Board and committee response - The Board’s learning environment and culture policy committee (Chair: Michelle Heike; members included Sarah Marais and Cassie Pryor) reviewed the request and recommended against amending Policy 5840. - Committee members and other board members cited three main concerns: the difficulty of writing a narrowly tailored exception that would not extend to other clubs or athletics, insurance and liability exposure even with parental waivers, and fairness perceptions from families of district-enrolled students who might lose opportunities. - Board members also noted that middle‑school athletics and many other student groups are not governed by statewide associations, and a single exception could lead to broader demands across programs.
Outcome The full board accepted the committee’s recommendation and took no action to change Policy 5840 at the Jan. 14 meeting. Board members and district staff suggested alternative community-based or club models, signage of potential facility‑use or third‑party club agreements, and further conversation with stakeholders to seek creative solutions outside a policy change.
What’s next Board members encouraged community members who want changes to pursue options including community theater models or district-facility partnerships; several board members said they are open to future conversations but that a policy amendment was not appropriate at this time.
Ending Board members thanked the public speakers for attending and for making respectful, focused comments. No vote to change Policy 5840 was taken; the policy remains in effect as read at the Jan. 14 meeting.
