Sports are everything to Stacey White's son—who has specials needs that impact his social abilities—but he can't participate in high school athletics due to constraints placed on students in independent study.

White, other parents, and special needs education advocates made their case to the Templeton Unified School District at an Oct. 26 board meeting, pushing the district to explore changing its athletics policy for students enrolled in the Templeton High School independent study program.

"Based on your [district's] mission statement, the agenda items on the matter tonight are very clear," White said. "No student should have to fight for their right to play in extracurricular sports."

That mission statement, according to White, sets the goal for the district to provide an inclusive environment for all students to learn and thrive both educationally, socially, and emotionally.

Templeton High School's independent study program has long served as an option for students with special needs inside and outside of the district—especially outside the district, as the TUSD has an agreement in place with other districts, including San Luis Coastal, where White is from—to allow students from there to attend the program.

"In May 2021, the district found the following after a study: Independent study has proven to be an effective learning model and provides an opportunity for students [with special needs] to participate," Assistant Superintendent Ian Trejo said at the meeting.

White told the board that she was grateful for the opportunity the program presents any family inside or outside the district that faces the challenges of finding an environment in which their child can thrive.

"The traditional middle and high school on-campus environments and all of their wonderful messiness that are important to growth are not a good environment for him," White said of her son at the meeting. "He has tried hard multiple times to make it work, but it creates mental and physical health challenges. He is a kid who needs an alternative to the traditional campus environment, and this program provides that."

However, the independent study program has struggled with integrating those students—particularly students residing in Templeton—into extracurricular activities, and it's those opportunities that parents like White feel students need to have in order to thrive.

"Independent study can be very isolating, [and] sports play a very important part in my son's emotional and social well-being," White said. "While he was allowed to play sports at SLO High his freshman year, we are having to fight for his right to play this year."

According to Trejo, the independent study program currently does not allow students who live within the district to try out for sports at Templeton High School.

As of Oct. 26, the district had an agreement with Mission Prep and SLO high schools to allow students from Templeton's independent study program to try out for sports—although these were exceptions that the district carved out for specific students in direct collaboration with the high schools.

On Oct. 26, the board voted to apply the inter-district policy to all independent study students who come from outside the district, but the issue remains for students who live within the Templeton district's jurisdiction.

After the meeting, education advocate Brad Bailey told New Times that the current athletics policy for independent study students still contradicts the district's overall policy.

"The biggest issue for me is the kids not being able to play despite the [district] making every other accommodation to afford them that environment where they can learn," Bailey said.

New Times reached out to TUSD officials about the policy and received the following response from the district Executive Assistant Leslie Bogart:

"We will politely decline an interview but welcome you to view the agenda and recording from last night's meeting," Bogart said. "You are also welcome to come to our next meeting on Nov. 9 where this topic will be discussed again."

Whatever the board decides on Nov. 9, Bailey told New Times that he knows that it could forever impact the students.

"It's effectively discrimination that these students are not allowed to even try out for these sports at the high school they attend," he said. "Any students who are attending this program are affected by things like this, no matter what the extracurricular event is."