By Jessica Dillon
The Martinsville City School Board tabled a proposed volunteer policy update April 13 after a parent raised concerns it could limit student participation in certain programs.
During the meeting, Elizabeth Sharpe spoke about changes to policy IICC, which governs community resources and volunteers. She said the proposal could create barriers for students involved in programs that require travel, such as Odyssey of the Mind.
“I am a parent who supports safe schools and believes deeply that public education is supposed to be a place where every child has equal access opportunity,” Sharpe said.
Many programs require students to travel out of town and be accompanied by a parent or guardian, Sharpe said. Under the proposed policy, those adults would need to complete a Level 2 screening.
“So under this new policy, which you’re going to hear more about later this evening, any child who participates in one of these programs will have to have a parent or guardian who can complete a Level 2 screening,” she said. “A Level 2 screening in this new policy is defined to include a criminal background check, which includes paperwork, fingerprinting and drug testing.”
Sharpe said she recently completed the process herself and described it as time-consuming.
“This process took nearly three hours, including traveling to the administration building, the sheriff’s office, to urgent care, back to the administration building, all during business hours,” she said.
She said not all families have the same flexibility.
“I myself am privileged in that I could do that for my child, but I’m aware that that’s not the case for every family. There are many reasons that a parent or guardian cannot complete the criminal background check like immigration status, past drug use, or simply the logistical barrier of a demanding job and a lack of transportation to screening sites,” Sharpe said.
“So the unintended consequences of this policy then become that those children of those parents and guardians will not be able to participate in any of these STEM programs because all of them require out-of-town overnight travel.”
Sharpe said the policy could prevent students from participating before teams are even formed.
“It’s not because the child did anything wrong. It’s not because they are not capable of excelling in these programs, but simply because their parent’s circumstances don’t fit the requirements for many of our students in this division.
“This is not a hypothetical situation,” she said. “This is their reality. So this policy, as it’s currently being written and will be reviewed this evening, becomes a barrier from the very beginning. Before these teams are even formed, the coaches and the coordinators will need to know what students can travel and those who cannot won’t be able to participate at all.”
Sharpe said that would result in students missing out on “the opportunity to gain so much from the teamwork, the critical thinking, and the pride that these programs build. And they won’t get the chance to start, and our school system will be less for that loss.”
Sharpe said she supports student safety but urged the board to reconsider the policy.
“I’m not asking the board to compromise the safety of our students. I’m just asking to close an equity gap that this policy, as it’s currently written, will create before it becomes a barrier that keeps our kids out of the very programs that we are celebrating here tonight,” she said.
Following discussion, the board voted to table the policy update.
In other business, the board:
Heard from Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Downing. She presented a new framework for the NHS Career Academies aimed at improving student engagement and increasing on-time graduation rates. The program will begin with ninth-grade students and offer pathways that include certifications, dual enrollment and work-based learning.
Approved the Perkins Grant, the Virginia Department of Education Authorization of Signature in the Absence of the Superintendent, and several policy updates, including BBBA (Qualifications of School Board Members), BBBC (Board Member Oath of Office), CA (Administrative Goals) and GAA-R (Staff Time Schedules Regulation).
Awards and recognitions:
VHSL Class 2 All-State player Zay Tinsley
Martinsville Middle School Odyssey of the Mind team
