WHAT DO YOU THINK? Did the school board make the right decision? Comment below.  

By Ruth Anne Maddox

Whether or not the Shakopee School Board agrees with the premise of a student club is not an issue that can be voted on when the club meets the application criteria outlined in district policy.

"The policy has to be looked at from a neutral standpoint," Superintendent Jon McBroom noted. "It’s important that activities be set up to be cleared or approved by the district per policy."

So, after another round of debate on Monday, a request from the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) to be elevated from the "not district-sponsored" category to "district-sponsored" was granted in a 4-3 vote, with board Chair Kathy Busch, Vice Chair Todd Anderson, Treasurer Chuck Berg and Director Mary Romansky in favor and Clerk Steve Schneider and Directors Bob Loonan and Andy Unseth against. The first-reading approval carries a contingency that the club removes a reference to its taking part in Minnesota GSA events sponsored by District 202 from the application.

The School Board then unanimously voted to amend the policy for this club to denote that it is "district-recognized" rather than "district-sponsored" so that it doesn’t appear that the school district endorses the message of the club.

Previous debate left the club’s request tabled at the Nov. 12 meeting and the original application was denied Monday before the board considered an amended application that was submitted in response to concerned aired at the prior meeting. The amendment removed reference to the club "educat[ing] … the broader school community about sexual orientation and gender identity issues." It also takes out wording about how the GSA would "work to educate the faculty about the needs of GLBT students in their classes."

The purpose of the club, as stated in the draft, is to provide a safe place for students to meet, support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation and worked to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Anderson said that he was glad the board sought legal counsel before making its decision and, as he expected, the advice indicated that the district couldn’t deny the request without a threat of legal action.

Denial of a GSA in Maple Grove landed the school district in court, where it was ruled that the student club should be allowed equal access to school facilities. The same could occur in Shakopee if the application was denied, officials said. The Maple Grove case is currently being appealed.

Loonan suggested that Maple Grove could serve as "a litmus test" for other school districts and wanted to wait until the matter was resolved there before moving forward.

"A majority of the community would believe this does not belong in a high school," Loonan said. "It is an adult topic [being discussed] among minors."

Unseth also wanted to sit on the request a little longer and to have the wording changes made before voting.

"The GSA is backed by a national organization with a strong agenda," Unseth said. "Some are there just for the discussion, others want to get a foot in the door … the way this is worded, I can’t support it."

Loonan further stated that he was not against this group but he was against how the district allows various groups to form in the district.

Schneider agreed: "I still go back to the fact that I think our policy is flawed. We should be able to allow equal access without district sponsorship."

Berg pointed out that elevating the status of the club holds it to a higher standard and more scrutiny than if it remained not district-sponsored.

Also, Anderson reminded fellow board members that approval of a club "is not for a lifetime; it’s for two years." If the club returns in two years for continued approval and has black marks against it for not sticking to policy and protocol, then the School Board wouldn’t have to renew the application, he said.

As board members aired their concerns and it looked as if opposing views would be volleyed all night, Busch took the bull by the horns and moved the matter to a vote.

"There’s obviously a difference of opinion on the board," she said. "But it does fit under a policy that we designed." She also noted that the school district still maintains control of the club by requiring its members to obtain adviser approval for its activities. She further noted that the club is not asking for and will receive any district funding.

"This is not an easy decision for any of us, but they’ve done what we’ve asked them to do," Busch said.

The GSA has already been meeting at SHS but its "not district-sponsored" status didn’t allow for their meetings and activities to be announced at the school.

When a student club is not district-sponsored, it has access to facilities for meeting but time and space must be scheduled through Community Education. These groups do not have access to placing announcements or advertising in individual buildings. District-sponsored student clubs are recognized by the School Board and have the right to announcements and advertisement within facilities, access to facilities for meetings and activities, the ability to sponsor public activities and supervision by a district-approved adviser. They must provide documentation of their activities and finance every two years.

The GSA has indicated that it hopes to have speakers at meetings (which could require fund raising) and to participate in the Day of Silence — a nationally recognized day when participants remain silent all day as a way of acknowledging the silence induced by homophobia and discriminatory violent acts in society. These activities required the club be recognized by the School Board.

Final approval of the GSA’s application is expected at the Dec. 10 meeting.