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School officials study softball and snow days

At their first in-person meeting in months, New Rockford-Sheyenne School Board members entertained adding a softball program to the school’s athletic department.

Athletic Director Elliot Belquist presented a rough cost proposal and detailed a number of potential roadblocks to starting a softball program. Chief among them was Title IX, a federal law designed to eliminate gender discrimination in schools.

According to Belquist, if girls softball were to be added, the school may be forced to take over the privately-funded SNR baseball program, or add some other male sport, in order to remain in compliance with Title IX. However, this would effectively double the cost of adding a softball program, which he estimated to be roughly $16,800.

Belquist also expressed doubt that the school could find coaches capable of teaching fast-pitch, which he described as a “different beast” when compared to slow-pitch. He further explained that schools with successful softball programs are often near colleges that have a softball program of their own, making it easier to find coaches and players.

The school board members seemed to agree with Belquist’s concerns. Mike Schaefer added that there may not be enough players should the program be authorized, and consensus was reached that they need to gauge the amount of interest for softball among students before creating the program.

“My recommendation early on would be to start a summer fast-pitch, and see how it goes,” said Belquist. “If parents really want it and they think they can get enough people participating, that’s an option where the school wouldn’t have to fund it.”

Belquist added, “I would do something along the lines of a five-year plan, and if it looks like the [club] is growing and we can make it, then maybe we take it over. But then, we’d probably have to take over baseball too.” The SNR Baseball program during the spring season is currently operated and funded privately by the SNR Baseball Boosters.

Todd Allmaras moved that the board not press forward with a softball program at this time, but that other avenues should be explored and discussions held to see what’s possible for a viable alternative, or “stepping stone,” to eventually creating a softball program. The motion was seconded by Patti Larson and carried unanimously.

Also discussed at the meeting was policy ABAC, aimed at allowing schools to utilize distance learning services when in-person instruction isn’t possible. The summary of proposed action states, “We now have the option, through legislative changes last session, to count distance learning days ... as a part of our instructional calendar under weather or other unforeseen plant conditions which prevent us from being in school (loss of heat, water, etc).”

While Superintendent Jill Louters seemed to support the policy, the rest of the school board wasn’t so convinced. Many expressed concern about the policy’s implementation, including Allmaras, who doesn’t want school officials having to predict which snow storms will require a day of online learning.

President Mary Kay Price added that not every student takes home their devices, and that extensive planning would be required by the school to be capable of switching to online learning at a moment's notice. However, she also expressed the positive side, adding, “We wouldn’t have to then make up the days on those vacation days that are already planned in the calendar, which is nice.”

Mike Schaefer expressed a more simple concern, saying, “I think we’re just absolutely destroying the ‘snow day’,” to which most of the room expressed agreement. Larson added, “Every kid from kindergarten to twelfth [grade] would be in tears when they hear there’s no more school snow days, so let's just leave it.”

However, the board wasn’t willing to abandon the policy altogether, instead requesting that Louters gather more information from school faculty in order to better understand the policy’s impact on students and staff.

The school board also discussed the New-Rockford-Sheyenne School District’s ongoing external accreditation review by Cognia, a network of educators that review data and feedback provided by the school district’s faculty and board, as well as it’s students, parents and the community. The next step is for the lead planning team to review its data and then submit a final report for the external review team from Cognia, a process scheduled to begin on Sept. 13.

A new dress code policy provision was also implemented, regarding student’s ability to wear hats on Fridays. Rather than asking students to pay $1 every Friday to wear their hats, students are now allowed to wear hats on Fridays and during special events, such as Homecoming, so long as they’re deemed appropriate by faculty.

Wrapping up the evening's agenda was policy DGHA, which ensures necessary break times and appropriate locations for staff that may be breastfeeding. Having already been discussed at last month’s meeting, all that was necessary was a brief approval of the second reading, which was carried unanimously.

The next regular school board meeting is set for Monday, Oct. 11.