All it takes is one
<span>By now, reactions to last Thursday's presentation of Diversity Alliance to the Chester District 139 Board of Education have been thoroughly debated.</span>
<span>DA is intended to be a support group for LGBT students at Chester High School. Calls to district superintendents revealed that while Sparta High School has a Gay/Straight Alliance club - which District 140 Superintendent Larry Beattie said has been active for less than a year - no high schools in Randolph County currently have a club similar to the proposed DA.</span>
<span>The newspaper went to Chester District 139 Interim Superintendent Bill Riley to better understand the process on how student clubs are approved. Riley said it starts with students putting their names down on a piece of paper and then giving it to the principal.</span>
<span>"The board here does not have a limitation on how many (signatures)," Riley said. "Their limitation is one. If there's one person, and they're coming to us, we're supposed to bring it to (the board of education) and tell them about it at least.</span>
<span>"They may say 'That's not enough for us to consider.'"</span>
<span>Riley used the example of how golf at Trico High School got started by one person, Dana Todaro.</span>
<span>"She actually was the first golfer at Trico before they had boys' golf," Riley said. "One girl and the board approved it.</span>
<span>"I was using it as a point that just one, good person can cause it to happen."</span>
<span>According to district policy, student groups or clubs that are not school-sponsored are granted free use of school premises for a meeting (or series of meeting) under the following conditions:</span>
<span>• The meeting is held during those non-instructional times identified by the superintendent or designee for noncurricular student groups, clubs or organizations to meet. Non-instructional time means time set aside by the school before actual classroom instruction begins or after actual classroom instruction ends.</span>
<span>• The meeting is student-initiated, meaning that the request is made by a student(s).</span>
<span>• Attendance at the meeting is voluntary.</span>
<span>• The school will not sponsor the meeting.</span>
<span>• School employees are present at religious meetings only in a non-participatory capacity.</span>
<span>• The meeting and/or any activities during the meeting do not materially or substantially interfere with the orderly conduct of educational activities.</span>
<span>• Non-school persons do not direct, conduct, control or regularly attend the meetings.</span>
<span>• The school retains its authority to maintain order and discipline.</span>
<span>• All noncurriculum-related student groups that are not district sponsored receive substantially the same treatment.</span>
<span>• A school staff member or other responsible adult is present in a supervisory capacity.</span>
<span>• The superintendent or designee approves the meeting or series of meetings.</span>
<span>"The best way is, by my recommendation, is where there's interest, that it be brought to the board to make a decision," Riley said. "Then you only have those clubs where there's shown to be interest.</span>
<span>"When I say interest, that could be anywhere from a small number to a large number."</span>
<span>Riley said if a community member sponsored a location for a club to meet, approval by the school board would not be necessary as it would not be on school grounds.</span>
<span>The next regular meeting of the Chester Board of Education is scheduled for Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. It is open to the public.</span>
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