Middletown board discusses new chaperone ID rules for events; basketball trip pulled from consent
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Summary
Athletic director proposed requiring high-school students to present IDs to attend unaccompanied and requiring middle-school students to be accompanied by an adult; board removed a planned boys basketball trip from the consent agenda and approved remaining consent items.
The Middletown City School Board heard detailed proposals and debate Dec. 15 about new athletic event chaperone guidelines and field trips after athletic director Joe Campolongo laid out two trip requests and recommended new 'shepherd expectations' for game attendance.
Campolongo told the board the boys’ basketball trip was withdrawn because flight prices spiked (from an anticipated $100–$200 per person to more than $400). He proposed a wrestling trip to Oregon Clay High School (Jan. 16–17) involving 14 student-athletes, a one-night hotel stay and an estimated $60 per student — funds Campolongo said were fully covered by prior fundraising processed through the athletic boosters. “No student is actually having to do any paying for it,” Campolongo said.
He then introduced chaperone guidelines to improve supervision at athletic events. Under the proposal, unaccompanied attendees must be high-school students able to produce a Middletown High School student ID; middle-school students would be required to attend with a responsible adult (ideally a household member). Campolongo said the guidelines are meant to be proactive and preventive and suggested an administrative rollout beginning Jan. 1.
Board members raised concerns about access, cost and timing. Several members said the proposed timeline felt tight and could disproportionately affect lower-income families who may not be able to provide an adult for younger children or pay admission; one member called the policy potentially “punitive.” Others said allowing any adult (not just a parent) to serve as a chaperone could address access concerns. Several board members asked that the district finalize the written policy and clarify enforcement and penalty language before implementation.
On procedural action, a board member moved to remove the high-school basketball field trip from the consent agenda; the motion passed on a roll-call vote. The revised consent agenda was then approved. Campolongo and multiple board members said the wrestling trip will move forward and that fundraising funds will remain with the boosters for program use.
Campolongo acknowledged the concerns and said the administration would refine details such as whether supervising adults must be 18 or 21, how to verify IDs, and how to ensure low-cost access for families. Several board members urged the administration to provide the finalized document to the board before the guidelines take effect.