"The Albemarle County School Board has settled a debate first sparked last summer over the role of schools as community informers, deciding in a 5-1 vote to allow only school-sponsored and local government groups to send fliers home with students.

The decision means groups such as vacation Bible schools and sports leagues not affiliated with the county recreation department - including Little League and the Soccer Org-anization of Charlottesville-Albemarle - cannot send fliers home in students’ backpacks.

“For us, it was very much the question: ‘Where are we spending staff time?’” School Board Chairwoman Sue Friedman said Friday.

The former policy, enacted in late September, allowed all outside organizations to distribute fliers twice a semester.

Friedman said it was not the number of requests that changed the board’s mind, but the time involved in fielding reaction from parents.

“Staff would get 15 calls from parents asking about the flier policy and not asking how their kids are doing,” Friedman said.

During summer session last year, Hollymead Elementary students were not permitted to hand out fliers advertising a vacation Bible school at a local church. Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit that offers litigation and policy advice, then sent a letter to Albemarle officials informing them that the flier-distribution policy excluding religious groups was unconstitutional.

The School Board’s attorney, Mark Trank, informed the board at a September meeting that all outside groups must be treated similarly, prompting the board to broaden its policy despite some members’ reluctance.

Board member Stephen Koleszar summed up the attitude of a majority of the board during this meeting: “I value our schools as community centers and I don’t want to stifle that,” Koleszar said. “At the same time, I don’t want this to get out of control.”

During this past school year, the distribution of a pagan flier around Christmas time and a flier advertising Camp Quest, a residential summer camp for those with a “secular worldview,” spurred some parents to voice concerns, and the board decided to revisit the issue this month. That led to Thursday’s vote.

Friedman said that there are methods - such as bulletin boards and information tables - that schools can use to convey community information.

“If indeed we are perceived that we are one of the only communication links, we would be more than happy to see how we can meet those needs,” she said." (Matt Deegan, The Daily Progress, June 30, 2007)