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Parent asks Willis ISD to reinstate middle-school tennis and seventh-grade Spanish, citing equity and college-readiness pathways
Summary
During public comment a parent urged the board to reconsider removing middle-school tennis and seventh-grade Spanish I, saying loss of these electives would limit early access to athletics and language credits and create inequities for students without outside access.
At the public comment portion of the Feb. 11 meeting a parent spoke on behalf of their family and requested the board reconsider a recent decision to remove middle-school tennis from PE and to eliminate Spanish I as a seventh-grade elective. The commenter said those programs provided confidence, early exposure to sport and the ability for students to earn second-language credits before high school.
The parent said their son "found something he genuinely enjoys in tennis" and that the class "sparked confidence, discipline, and excitement about being active." They argued that middle school is often the only place some students encounter sports like tennis and that removing it diminishes opportunities to build a high-school program and pipeline. On Spanish the speaker said offering Spanish I and II in middle school enabled their son to complete second-language credits before high school and pursue dual-credit opportunities; removing the course for seventh graders would deny similar opportunities to other students.
The parent framed the change as a matter of access and equity, saying, "The difference between my children's academic paths will not be based on effort or ability. It will be solely based on access." The comment closed with a respectful request for the board to "consider reinstating these programs so that future students will have the same opportunities to grow, compete, and succeed." The board did not take immediate action during public comment; administration and trustees heard the request as part of ongoing curriculum and schedule planning.
No district speaker provided a full response in the public-comment segment; the item was entered into the record for further consideration as part of course offerings and budget/ staffing planning.
