Homeschool Students Ask to attend High School Prom
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Homeschool Students Ask to attend High School Prom Nancy Marks School board members tiptoed around the issue of allowing home-schooled students to attend high school dances. After a strong plea by board member Vanessa Flynn to allow home-schooled students to attend high school dances, members voted to move action on the request to their April monthly meeting.
Flynn was not in attendance. She had sent an email to the board. Also absent was board member Shaun Scott. The board quorum included Chairman Jason Noyes, Todd Olson and Kevin McDonnell, remotely.
Board member Flynn pointed out in her email the loss home-schooled students experience when they miss out on the high school dances and proms. She said she understands the question about high school staff and dance chaperones worrying about accountability for students they do not know or have in their classes. However, she feels if home-schooled students and their parents can meet the requirements set out by the school, they should be allowed to attend the dances. She concluded by saying parents of home school students pay taxes in Broadwater County, so they should be able to use the school's facilities and activities. She offered to act as a chaperone at the dances. Currently, 105 Broadwater County students are home-schooled, according to Superintendent of Schools Melissa Franks.
High School principal Sheri Heavrin gave a written statement defending the current policy of allowing attendance at dances by students who are enrolled in schools but not allowing attendance by students who are home-schooled. She said the policy came about because of serious incidents at dances. “There were many problems in the past with non-enrolled guests being allowed to attend dances with only their parents to rely on for their accountability,” she wrote.
Heavrin further explained the school does have a policy for enrolled out-of-district guests who are allowed to attend dances. “Our own students have to be in good standing to attend these activities and there is simply little to no accountability for non-enrolled students,” she wrote.
Heavrin said extracurricular activities are just that, activities that are largely outside the regular day-to-day (activities) of the school such as sports. “School activities such as dances, are an extension of the classroom, planned, facilitated and executed by the staff, organizations and clubs during the school day,” she explained. Dances are also chaperoned and supervised by the staff.
The 2019 Legislature passed a law allowing home-schooled students to participate in public school extracurricular activities. The law was, at that time, interpreted as sports participation. Since that time homeschooled students participate in other extracurricular activities including Future Farmers of America supervised by Agriculture Education teacher Jemma Loughery.
With a motion on the floor to accept school district policy 3510 concerning nonpublic student participation, Chairman Noyes said the district needs to be flexible about the issue, but that public school students who put in their time showing up day in and day out by attending classes run by general rules, then they deserve certain privileges. He further explained the district cannot hold a double standard concerning student guests from other schools versus home school students who live in the district.
