SOUTH BEND – South Bend Community School Corp. has suspended part of a policy that prohibits students who are home-schooled and those who attend unaccredited private schools from participating in the district’s athletic and extracurricular programs.
The move, which the board approved 6-1 at Monday night’s meeting, opens the door for those students to take part in sports and other extracurricular programs, provided they enroll in at least one course in South Bend schools, a guideline that — thanks to a recent change — is mirrored by the Indiana High School Athletic Association.
The change in South Bend was initiated, school board President Jay Caponigro explained Tuesday, after one family e-mailed board members — “and possibly a couple others” complained to the administration — that their student would be adversely affected by the policy.
The policy suspension, Caponigro said, makes South Bend’s schools accessible to students in the spirit of the new IHSAA guidelines, while the board reviews the policy prior to a likely change this fall.
Bill Sniadecki cast the lone vote against the resolution, though board member Michelle Engel also said she was uncomfortable with it.
“I don’t feel ready to vote to suspend a policy we have for a reason,” Engel said, suggesting the board verbally instruct the administration, for now, to simply follow IHSAA guidelines on eligibility. “I’m expressing my discomfort now,” she said, “with this hurried suspension.”
“I think this is a big mistake,” Sniadecki said. “We’re doing it for one student.”