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Board moves draft policy on nonpublic studentsparticipation to third reading after public plea from Richmond Friends School
Summary
After a public comment from the head of Richmond Friends School urging exceptions, the Richmond Community Schools board moved policy 92-70 (rules for extracurricular participation by nonpublic students) to a third reading and asked administration to draft administrative guidelines with data on enrollment and fee options before final approval.
The Richmond Community Schools board on July 15 moved a draft policy that would limit extracurricular participation by students not enrolled in RCS to a third reading, after trustees heard a public comment from Becky Dimickiseman, head of Richmond Friends School.
Dimickiseman told the board that Richmond Friends School is a small pre-K–8 private school whose students often choose Richmond High School later on and that participation in RCS athletics and band helps build bonds that lead students to enroll. "Our students are allowed to play some sports with Richmond Community Schools," she said, asking the board to consider exceptions for schools that do not accept vouchers and to weigh payment or fee options.
The proposed policy (identified in the meeting as policy 92-70, "equivalent instruction for compulsory attendance compliance / nonaccredited schools") would clarify when students who do not attend RCS could participate in district extracurriculars. Trustees discussed several practical considerations: whether nonpublic schools that decline vouchers should be treated differently; how dual-enrollment rules and state guidance (half-time enrollment for nonpublics vs. different thresholds for homeschooled students) affect ADM funding; capacity constraints that could displace RCS-enrolled students; and whether fees or "pay to play" arrangements could address costs.
Several trustees said they wanted more data before finalizing the policy. Member Stevens asked for counts of how many students entering Richmond High School in recent years came from nontraditional settings or specific private/micro schools; staff agreed to pull enrollment-history data and other relevant metrics. Trustees also asked administration to draft administrative guidelines (AGs) that would spell out enrollment thresholds, fee structures and any exceptions — an AG the board could review at a policy meeting before a final vote.
Board President (chair) said the motion to withdraw final approval and move the item to third reading passed unanimously. "Wehave had a lot of conversation on this policy for a long time, and new information tonight inspires new trains of thought," a trustee said during the discussion.
Next steps: the board set a policy meeting for July 27 at 4:00 p.m. to review the administrative guidelines and the data staff will compile; trustees said they want that information before approving the policy to avoid unintended consequences for RCS student access and for district finances.
The policy remains under consideration; no final change to student eligibility for activities was adopted at the July 15 meeting.
