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Board weighs banning open gyms on Sundays and Wednesdays, debates coach accountability
Summary
Board members debated whether open gyms on Sundays and Wednesdays have become de facto team practices that favor certain players and called for clearer policy language, coach contract rules, and posted public schedules; no formal vote was taken.
Board members and administrators spent a lengthy portion of the meeting debating whether the district's open-gym offerings have become effectively organized team practices that give some players preferential access and advantage.
Several board members argued for a conservative approach: ban open gyms on Sundays and Wednesdays to prevent coaches from using them as extra practice time and to reduce perceived inequities for students who lack key-holder friends. One board member said open gyms should be "public" and not run by coaches, adding that if a coach runs a session it becomes a practice rather than an open gym.
Others urged a measured approach: post open-gym times publicly, allow exceptions for postseason or other special circumstances, require that coaches not coach during open gyms (they may supervise but not instruct), and include prohibitions or reporting procedures in coach contracts so administration can hold staff accountable.
The superintendent and principal emphasized student access and safety: if open gyms are offered, they should be broadly announced so students without a key-holder are not excluded, and supervision should be structured so the event is not interpreted as a required team activity. The board directed staff to research state rules and contract language and to return with policy recommendations.
