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Board approves senior off‑campus lunch pilot with parental waivers and student-set criteria
Summary
The ODESSA R‑VII Board approved a pilot allowing seniors to leave campus during a weekly Bulldog Break period, contingent on a parental waiver, daily sign‑out procedures and student adherence to a 90% requirement; board members said the pilot will be monitored and can be rescinded if problems emerge.
The ODESSA R‑VII Board of Education on March 1 approved a pilot program allowing seniors to leave campus during the 50‑minute Bulldog Break in the fourth quarter, after district leaders and senior class representatives presented a written proposal that includes eligibility criteria and safety measures.
Under the approved pilot, seniors must meet a 90% standard set by the student leadership team, carry a signed parental waiver granting permission to leave, and sign out and in each day so staff can quickly contact families if students fail to return. The proposal, developed by seven student leaders identified as the Civil Seven, lays out consequences for misuse and emphasizes parental consent and daily accountability.
Ms. Beatty stayed to answer board questions and the superintendent said the district consulted counsel on the guidelines and will monitor the pilot closely. “When their parents sign the waiver, that’s their way of saying, ‘When my kid initiates going, they have my permission to leave,’” a district official said when explaining the parental-consent process.
Board members discussed safety and the program’s limited scope (seniors only), noting the system’s existing sign‑out procedures and the inclusion of contact information on student sheets so staff can confirm student safety if they do not return promptly. A motion to approve the pilot was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote.
Board members said the pilot is reversible: if problems become systemic, the district will withdraw the privilege. The superintendent and Mr. Shepherd (building leadership) said they will report back to the board with an update on how the pilot operates during the quarter.
The board also noted the pilot is modeled on a Bulldog Break schedule used at the district and that the student-developed expectations were stricter than administrators might have required, a factor board members cited as supporting the decision.
