CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The start of school is still a few weeks away for students at B.M. Williams Primary School in Chesapeake.
In the meantime, the Chesapeake School Board wants to ensure that after-school activities meet their standards. Facility use will be brought up at the next board meeting. It's an item under the action section of the agenda.
This means that school officials could make certain changes to the clubs. When News 3 asked what sort of changes, Angie Swygert, with Chesapeake Public Schools, gave us the following statement:
"There are a number of complex issues surrounding facility use, including but not limited to, insurance/liability, wear and tear, security, and impact on the instructional day."
Last year B.M Williams Primary School allowed non-school groups like the Good News Club and the After-School Satan Club to meet at the school. Less than a week after its first meeting, the After-School Satan Club received a bomb threat.
While police reported no bombs were discovered during a sweep of the school, the event was enough to panic many parents. Off camera, one parent said they've pulled their child from the school because of the drama and now home schools them.
Another mom who didn't want to be named or shown said she's also trying to put her son in a different school for the same reason.
"Children shouldn't be exposed to that. They should be there to learn they should not be dealing with a whole bunch of adult content that really has nothing with the children, the children are innocent it's the grownups that have the issue," said one Chesapeake mom.
According to CPS, the school board is not taking a vote to ban or impact the Satan Club, and all third-party organizations that want to use the space of the public school are treated and will continue to be treated equally.
Swygert says last year changes were made to the fair use policy involving organizations not associated with schools. Modifications were made for the fair use policy surrounding all third-party organizations.
Since then, some of the board members feel additional ones are warranted.
When News asked if students would still be able to participate in the Satan Club, Swygert gave us the following statement,
"I cannot attest at this time precisely, what if any, changes may occur to the facility use policy and regulations. If the current policy and regulations are unchanged or minimally adjusted, students are able to participate with written parental permission, in activities sponsored by third party organizations who meet regulation requirements, after school hours," says Swygert.
The school board meeting is set for Aug. 14.
