Letter to the Editor: Rifle team needs equal treatment

As the aunt of students directly affected by this decision, I am angry and deeply disappointed that I even have to write this letter.

Parents and community members need to start asking questions and they need to demand answers.

Why are students on the Delta Junction High School rifle team being treated differently from other student athletes?

Why is Principal Ms. Jones refusing to excuse these students from school so they can participate in their Friday matches when students participating in other sports are allowed to miss school to compete?

And why is Superintendent Mr. Lee backing Principal Jones's decision, despite being fully aware of the situation and the impact it is having on these kids?

These are real students who have worked hard, practiced, committed their time, and taken pride in representing Delta Junction High School. They have earned the opportunity to compete, yet they are now being told they cannot attend their Friday matches because they will not be excused from school.

That is not equal treatment.

The school has no problem excusing students involved in other sports when they are traveling to games, tournaments, meets, and competitions. Those students are given the opportunity to represent Delta Junction High School while still being held accountable for their schoolwork.

So why is the rifle team different?

What makes these students less deserving of the same consideration?

That is the question Principal Ms. Jones and Superintendent Mr. Lee should be willing to answer.

This isn't about asking students to skip school because they would rather be somewhere else. This is a school team participating in scheduled competitions. These students have made a commitment to their team and have put in countless hours preparing to compete.

As their aunt, it is extremely frustrating to watch these kids work hard and then have their opportunities taken away because the administration refuses to find a reasonable solution.

We teach our children that fairness matters. We teach them that commitment matters. We teach them that hard work matters.

Then what are we teaching them when the adults making the decisions don't apply those same principles equally?

If there is a legitimate school policy or academic reason why these students cannot be excused, then Principal Ms. Jones and Superintendent Mr. Lee should explain that reason to the parents and the community.

If the school can make accommodations for other student athletes, then the administration should explain why it cannot do the same for the rifle team.

Parents and community members should not simply accept this decision.

Contact the Delta Junction school board. Ask why the rifle team is being treated differently. Ask why Principal Ms. Jones made this decision. Ask why Superintendent Mr. Lee is backing it. Ask what efforts have actually been made to find a solution.

And most importantly, ask the school board whether they believe it is fair to deny these students the same opportunities that are provided to other student athletes.

This is about more than missing a few Friday matches.

It is about fairness, equal treatment, accountability, and supporting our kids.

These students are members of our community. They are working hard, representing Delta Junction, and participating in a positive school activity.

They deserve to know that their school and their community will stand behind them.

Our kids should not have to fight their own school just to be allowed to represent it.

I am asking the school board, parents, and community members to stand up for these students and demand that they receive the same consideration and opportunities as every other student athlete at Delta Junction High School.

Let them compete. Let them represent Delta Junction. And give them the same support we give every other student athlete.

Sincerely,

Ann Heller

A Concerned Aunt of Delta Junction High School Rifle Team Students

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