Superintendent Discusses Dodgeball Petitions, Next Steps

Windham Superintendent Dr. Henry LaBranche has never received a petition for a policy decision in his time serving the town.

That could soon change as two petitions are circulating through the district related to the school board's recent decision to take "human target" games, such as dodgeball, out of the curriculum.

LaBranche is aware of the online petition that originated from the middle school, which was started by the twin sons of school board member Dennis Senibaldi, who voted against removing the games. That petition had 228 supporters (albeit some from outside Windham) as of Friday night.

A second, paper petition, started by Windham High School sophomore Mike Bedient, received 250 signatures in its first day.

LaBranche said that any petition would have to be processed through him, and could later become an agenda item at the next available meeting.

Senibaldi said Friday that it would be at least two weeks before any petition goes before the board.

"I would suspect that after hearing the petition, we would get further instruction from the board," said LaBranche.

That direction could travel a few different paths. The board could ask the professionals to take another look at the issue and bring it back to see if there is a different recommendation.

LaBranche said that if a second look were to take place, more people could be involved.

"I would probably expand, and I would say to the board that I would probably be a little bit more inclusive, include a few other folks," he said. "That would be some district staff primarily, those who haven't been involved in it to give us another perspective."

Parents could even see some participation if another look at the issue were to take place.

The board could even be as explicit as asking the professionals to return with a different recommendation.

The board could also dismiss the petition or petitions, but LaBranche supports a different strategy.

"If we receive the petition, I think we owe the petitioners a review of what they are asking," said LaBranche.

LaBranche said last week the dodgeball study stemmed from one parent's complaint about the safety and bullying caused by human target games.

Through conversations with his leadership group he said it was determined that similar concerns had been expressed by other parents.

The collective school board has not provided official comment on either the petitions or a potential strategy on the issue going forward.

That doesn't mean other Windham residents have gone without opinions, including two Windham Patch readers.

Jill McAlpine is suggesting a compromise – forming a local dodgeball league, which she's offered to coach. And Windham Patch blogger Celia Brown wrote about how she's "personally embarassed as a Windhamite" because of all the attention the town is receiving because of the decision.

A follow-up report last week saw comments from WHS Athletic Director Bill Raycraft.

“There are certainly pros and cons to this,” said Raycraft. “If dodgeball is done right, it’s safe and well worth the activity.”

Raycraft said the balls used are not the hard rubber balls used years ago. The game uses gator balls, which are foam balls lighter than a Nerf football. 

“I think (the School Board’s) concern was not of injury, but of elimination,” Raycraft said. “The goal is to keep kids in the game and moving for physical activity.”

Raycraft said the rules could have been modified to accumulate points instead of eliminating kids from the game.