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Board approves one-year pilot allowing Connect Academy students to join extracurriculars and athletics (4–1)
Summary
The board voted 4–1 to allow Park Heritage Connect Academy students to participate in extracurricular activities — including athletics where IHSA rules apply — for one year, subject to academic and attendance accountability and a return-to-board review after the pilot.
The North Central Parke Community School Corporation board voted to allow students enrolled in the Park Heritage Connect Academy to participate in extracurricular activities and athletics for a one-year pilot period, with accountability measures for attendance and grades.
Superintendent Dr. Shimp framed the measure as an equity and enrollment issue: “If we’re going to say that these are our students, then I think it makes sense for them to have the same opportunities as other students,” he told the board while also stressing the need for guardrails on attendance and academic progress.
Administrators emphasized that participation will be conditional on meeting academic and attendance standards and on compliance with governing athletic rules. For high-school athletics, IHSA guidelines will apply; administrators said midterm or nine‑week grade checks and other attendance reporting will be enforced to maintain eligibility. The superintendent noted funding considerations for virtual students, observing that differences in funding (85% vs. 100%) would affect district revenue per student and that “you’re still going to bring in over $6,000 per student” in many cases.
Board members discussed details such as whether disciplinary removals would be handled differently for virtual students and how attendance would be tracked. The board approved the handbook language and the participation pilot by a 4–1 vote; Gina cast the lone dissent, citing concerns about accountability specifics.
Administrators said they will: (1) finalize specific attendance and grade thresholds for extracurricular eligibility in building-level handbooks, (2) align discipline and reinstatement procedures for virtual students with existing policies (including options to require a student to return to in-person instruction if necessary), and (3) report back to the board after the one‑year pilot to evaluate outcomes.
Next step: building-level athletic and activity codes will be refined to apply the agreed accountability standards to Connect Academy participants and will be presented to the board alongside a one-year pilot evaluation.
