Albemarle County School Board Amends School Activities Policy

By Albemarle County Public Schools

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. — The Albemarle County School Board has amended its School Activities policy governing all clubs, sports and co-curricular activities for middle and high school students.

The changes follow a months-long review of the policy that the School Board unanimously directed Superintendent Matthew Haas to undertake during its Nov. 13, 2025, meeting.

Although the initial directive called for staff to present recommendations in December 2025, with the goal of having the new policy begin at the start of this semester, staff requested additional time to conduct a more comprehensive review and analysis.

“Our goals in this policy are to preserve students’ First Amendment rights, protect students from predatory behaviors of outside influencers in the management and financial operations of student clubs, and maintain a positive learning environment for all students, which is our core charge as a school division,” Haas said. “To achieve those goals, we needed a thorough review, thoughtful consideration and robust public engagement on this important policy.”

The policy has received considerable public attention and comment since the draft was released Feb. 27 and presented to the School Board as a first reading of staff-recommended changes during its March 5 meeting. Lane Auditorium, where School Board meetings are held, was filled with parents, residents and students who came to express their views and support their positions on the policy.

Speakers addressed both support for and disagreement with the proposal. School Board members also offered edits and deliberated specific aspects of the policy before ultimately approving the revised version.

“This was a very transparent and public process,” said School Board Chair Rebecca Berlin. “There will be those who agree with the outcome and those who disagree, but there is no doubt that everyone had a chance to be heard. We welcomed thoughtful public comment at our meetings, and dozens of community members also shared their perspectives with the School Board by email. I was especially heartened by the number of students and family members who came to respectfully share their views.”

The updated policy draws a clear distinction between “co-curricular organizations,” such as performing arts groups, language clubs and art activities, which extend school curriculum and supplement course material within the educational program, and non-curricular organizations, such as religious groups, political clubs and special interest activities, which allow students to pursue interests outside the school curriculum.

A primary point of disagreement between supporters and opponents of the proposed revisions was the prohibition on non-curricular clubs hosting outside speakers during the school day. The School Board ultimately decided that disruptions to the learning environment during the school day — defined as 45 minutes before the first bell and 45 minutes after the dismissal bell for high school students, and 30 minutes before the first bell and 30 minutes after the dismissal bell for middle school students — should be minimized to support student learning.

Under the new policy, non-curricular clubs may continue to meet and engage in activities during non-instructional times within the school day. However, outside speakers are not permitted to address students during the school day. These clubs may still invite outside speakers to address students outside the school day.

“Non-curricular clubs must be run by students, and this policy reinforces that expectation,” Berlin said. “It prohibits teachers, staff and outside individuals from organizing students around non-curricular activities. It ensures students can exercise their right to assemble during non-instructional time without disrupting the learning environment, while giving families assurance that outside individuals are not coming into the building to address students on issues unrelated to the curriculum during the school day.”

The School Board approved the revised School Activities Policy in a 5-1 vote. The changes take effect immediately.