Several community members appealed to the Lake County Board of Education on Nov. 19 to adopt a policy barring school athletic practices and open gyms on Sundays, saying the schedule conflicts with religious observance and family time.

Michelle Avery told the board her son was effectively penalized after missing Wednesday practices for church and that coaches later scheduled a Sunday practice despite an earlier assurance it would not occur (public comment beginning SEG 426). ‘‘I told the coaches that as long as they didn't hold Sunday practices, Colin would be there for every practice that they had,’’ Avery said, summarizing a phone conversation with coaches and the head coach's statement that he would not hold Sunday practices. She provided the board with a packet that included examples of other districts’ handbooks and petitions from Lake County residents.

Director of schools Dr. Burton said districts can adopt a ban but warned about unintended consequences if language is too rigid. He told the board some state tournaments or travel schedules can require play or travel on Sundays; he recommended leaving authority to the director to grant narrow, preauthorized exceptions rather than writing an absolute prohibition. "If you put it in policy and don't give latitude, you can end up prohibiting students from playing really important games," Dr. Burton said while describing potential travel and tournament scenarios.

Board members discussed two options: write a district policy that broadly prohibits Sunday practices, or instruct the director to implement an operational rule that generally refrains from Sunday activities while allowing approved exceptions for extraordinary circumstances. Multiple members suggested asking the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) — and the board’s attorneys — to draft model language that protects a day of rest yet preserves authority to approve exceptions for travel or state-level competitions.

By the end of the discussion the board agreed to request a TSBA/CSBA draft policy and planned to review a proposed policy in December. Dr. Burton said he would ask TSBA to prepare a policy draft and would also explore a director-led administrative practice in the meantime so coaches would be informed not to hold Sunday practices before a formal policy is adopted. The board did not take an immediate binding vote to ban Sunday practices; rather, it directed staff to return with draft language.

Next steps: staff will ask TSBA/CSBA to draft policy language and bring it to the board for consideration at a subsequent meeting. The director also said he could temporarily direct coaches to refrain from Sunday practices while the policy is developed.