New Dillingham school policy requires parent volunteer time for kids’ away game travel

Parents of students in Dillingham will now be required to volunteer at sports events or risk their kids being barred from participating in future travel games, according to a new school district policy.

According to a memo from the school board’s activities committee, parents or guardians must now fulfill two volunteer hours per student-athlete at each of the six major home tournaments for volleyball, basketball, and wrestling.

The memo says that if a parent or guardian cannot fulfill the hours for any reason, the student is responsible for asking a teacher or community member to donate their time on the child’s behalf.

The policy, instituted in August, provides an exemption for travel to regionals and state competitions.

The decision is in response to low levels of volunteers in the past. The memo states that in previous years, many volunteer hours went unfilled, and a small number of individuals were left to shoulder the vast majority of the burden.

However, this policy has raised some concerns among families.

Several parents who spoke to KDLG expressed frustration over the policy due to time and resources, and said they feel discouraged that their lack of time could hinder their child’s chances.

Some parents hold jobs that require them to work during the hours of sporting events, others are single parents with limited time to spare. According to a U.S. Census Bureau report in 2022, nearly half of children in Dillingham were raised by single-parent households, with almost a quarter of households economically burdened.

The new policy will take effect the weekend of Oct. 25-26 for the middle school “Bunny Boot” tournament.

The Dillingham School District Activities Committee declined to comment.