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Parent asks Speedway board to add rehabilitation pathway instead of yearlong extracurricular suspension
Summary
A parent told trustees a rolling 365‑day ban from extracurriculars can disconnect students and proposed a structured rehabilitation pathway—counseling, education, testing and academic/accountability conditions—to allow reinstatement while preserving accountability.
Michael Bowman, a Speedway parent, urged the board during other business to consider changes to the district's extracurricular substance policy so consequences better support student improvement and re-engagement.
Bowman said he did not seek special treatment for his son but questioned whether a full 365-day removal from extracurricular activities "sometimes create[s] the effect of what we intend." He proposed adding a structured rehabilitation pathway that would allow students to earn reinstatement through counseling or substance-education programs, ongoing random drug testing, behavioral and academic accountability, and demonstrated commitment to improvement.
"Athletics, extracurricular activities, coaches, mentors, and team structure are often some of the strongest positive influences in their lives," Bowman said, arguing that the district should consider alternatives that preserve accountability while enabling meaningful paths to reinstate eligibility. He asked whether the rolling-365 suspension model or a school-based consequence model combined with a rehabilitation pathway would better serve students while maintaining fairness and consistency.
The board asked Bowman for a copy of his proposal; no policy change was made at the meeting.
