By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle
A large Newport Christian church with a growing private school is pressuring the Lincoln County School District to reverse a new policy that could restrict its students’ participation on public school athletic teams in the fall.
School administrators now say the update in their athletics handbook caused a misunderstanding and are working to resolve the complaint.
The principal and some parents of the 120-student K-12 South Beach Christian School in Newport are upset that a change in district policy for next school year means new private school students cannot participate in a middle or high school sport unless there are not enough public or homeschooled students to fill out the team.
The issue comes at an awkward time for the school district. It is seeking voter approval of a $73 million building bond in the May 20 special election and it is experiencing a slow decline in enrollment since the COVID-19 pandemic due to a variety of factors, including private school growth. State reimbursement to public schools is based on enrollment.
The seats at Tuesday night’s Lincoln County school board meeting were full, prompting South Beach Christian School supporters to crowd the bleachers inside Taft Elementary School’s gym. Many attendees wore black T-shirts with the slogan “Let all children play.”
During the meeting, school board members read a statement about the district’s non-discrimination policy.
Board member Mitch Parsons also asked people with questions or concerns about district policies to contact administrators or board members before going on social media. South Beach school supporters, parents and children had been posting their objections on Facebook for weeks.
“I wanted to thank the public for coming out and having their voice heard … if you are going to put it on Facebook please come to meetings and let us know,” Parsons said.
A recent change in the LCSD athletics and activities handbook limited new private school students from joining public school athletics, South Beach Christian School principal Katey Townsend said during the meeting’s public comment period.
For the past three years students at the Christian school were able to play sports at neighboring schools in Newport and Toledo. But starting next year under the new policy, Townsend said, no new private school students will be able to join public school teams unless the teams did not have the minimum required players.
“We aren’t asking for special treatment, we are asking for the same opportunities students have had the last three years and that private school students across Oregon continue to have,” Townsend said.
This year, eight athletes from the school played on public school teams. Next year, five incoming freshmen had hoped to join them, Townsend said. The new decision affects both middle and high school students.
Townsend filed a complaint May 4 with the district and asked administrators to review emails between athletic directors and the private school and to speak to affected children and families.
“It was shocking,” she said, “When my advocacy did not result in a reversal in the decision, I filed a formal complaint and encouraged our families and students to share how this impacts them directly.”
The church is in the process of constructing a new, 20,000 square foot building in the Wilder area of South Beach. Once that building is finished, plans call for construction of a school next to it. The school currently conducts classes in the former Newport Christian School. Tuition at South Beach Christian School is $6,200 a year.
Several parents took to Facebook and shared statements on the private school’s website, calling for reversal of the district’s decision.
“This policy is especially troubling given that it is not required under state rules,” wrote Joyclynn Potter, a parent to an upcoming eighth-grader. “These guidelines state that private school students may participate in public school athletics when both the public and private schools agree. Lincoln County School District is not mandated to exclude; it is choosing to exclude.”
Before Tuesday’s meeting, the private school shared an update on its social media channels.
“LCSD has heard our voice. We now believe things are moving in a positive direction for our student athletes’ continued inclusion in public school sports,” the statement read.
The school district was prepared to hear the Christian school’s grievances Tuesday night but administrators said they were still in the process of reviewing Townsend’s complaint and were unwilling to share many other details.
“The district recently received a complaint from a private school regarding our district athletic participation policy and is working directly with a private school principal and other private schools to develop a comprehensive solution through a collaborative process,” the district said in a statement to Lincoln Chronicle. “Our goal is to make sure students across Lincoln County have real opportunities to take part in sports and extracurricular activities that help them grow and connect as part of their local communities.”
Home school, online public school students and students pursuing a GED are allowed to participate in district athletics, as required by state law. According to the district, private school athletes can play on public school teams when there is availability on a team in their resident school.
Administrators changed the language in the handbook to reflect the district’s discretion to allow private school students to participate in public school athletics, said superintendent assistant Susan Van Liew after a budget meeting Thursday night. Some saw the new language as a change in policy, she said, but the district was never required by law to let private school students play sports.
Next year, the handbook will be “status quo” and if there are any future changes the district will have conversations with affected schools, Van Liew said.
“I’m enthusiastic about the continued conversation between the district and South Beach church,” board member Jason Malloy said at the meeting. “I look forward to seeing a resolution that benefits everybody.”
- Shayla Escudero covers Lincoln County government, education, Newport, housing and social services for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at Shayla@LincolnChronicle.org
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