Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Clubs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parent asks board for help after student’s year‑long effort to start Habitat for Humanity club stalls
Summary
A parent told the board his son has spent a year trying to start a Habitat for Humanity club at High School South but encountered administrative redirects and a reported rule that clubs must meet between 3 and 4 p.m.; the district’s pupil‑services official said she would follow up to clarify procedures.
Paul Song, a parent from Princeton Junction, asked the West Windsor–Plainsboro board to help his son start a Habitat for Humanity chapter at High School South after more than a year of attempts.
"He's been working diligently fulfilling all the requirements that are involved," Song said, describing repeated referrals between counselors, vice principals and a designated administrator identified as Mr. Covington. Song said the student secured a volunteer advisor from the regional Habitat for Humanity office and that Habitat would provide funding, but the student still faces scheduling and advisor‑approval hurdles. Song said he was told the school requires all student‑club activities to take place between 3 and 4 p.m., but he noted other clubs conduct off‑site or after‑hours activities.
Miss Sankara, who identified her role as working in pupil services and planning, responded that she had taken notes and would reach out to Mr. Covington and the student to "get some clarity" about advisor roles and the club‑approval process. She cautioned that clarification may not guarantee the outcome the family seeks but pledged to explain the underlying process and rationale.
The board did not take an immediate public vote on the matter. Sankara's offer to convene the student, Mr. Covington and herself establishes a follow‑up path; the parent asked the board to help prevent the delay from extending into the next school year.
Next steps: administration to contact the family and Mr. Covington to clarify club requirements and whether the volunteer advisor and outside funding meet district policy and scheduling constraints.
