The Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School Board during its regular meeting Tuesday wrestled with the question of whether to allow student clubs to meet at lunchtime.
The district’s current policy, which was adopted in 2021, says that clubs that are not instructional cannot meet on campus at lunch time.
In March, two students came before the board to recommend that be changed. The Policy Review Committee then reconsidered the matter.
On Tuesday, board member Mike Lynch, who is on that committee, said it did not recommend a policy change.
He said the district cannot discriminate between clubs, so all possible clubs would be allowed to be on campus during lunchtime, and some “would likely stir community disfavor and protest.”
He said those same clubs are allowed to be on campus before or after instructional time, so they are still able to meet.
But other board members questioned why lunch is considered instructional time when upperclassmen are allowed to leave campus at lunch and no actual instruction is taking place.
“Are students required to be on campus during lunch and are there classes being held over lunch?” asked trustee Laura DeWitt. “Is lunch in fact instructional time?"
“We don’t have instruction at lunch time but it’s within the school day from start to end,” said Superintendent Eddie Ramirez.
Ramirez said a bigger conflict is that an adult is required to be present with clubs at lunch, and teachers are supposed to have that time be duty-free.
“Having an adult teacher present at the time would be in conflict with a duty-free lunch,” Ramirez said.
The board asked its two student representatives what they thought about the matter.
Kenia Cotonuts said clubs whether academic or not give students something to look forward to.
The other student representative, Kyah Christenson, said clubs draw students together who would not typically hang out with each other. She said she hadn’t taken part in many clubs and people who had would be able to give a better-informed opinion.
Ultimately the board members said they will seek an opinion from their attorney and will schedule this for further discussion at a work session.
