The Haines School spelling bee has been squashed.
Principal Cheryl Stickler said the loss of bee sponsorship by the American Legion and declining student interest led to the decision by the district’s leadership team, which includes administrators and teachers.
The bee is held in grades 4-8, with class winners advancing to the districtwide bee.
For decades the Legion provided cash prizes to top spellers as well as the cost of sending the district’s champion to the state bee in Anchorage, about $1,000. The school district picked up the travel cost last year.
“Some students are really, really uncomfortable with the bee. They purposely bomb out of it. They don’t want to stand up in front of the whole student body and speak,” Stickler said. “Some things just evolve with time… We have to look at academic activities that students are really interested in.”
There are many ways to celebrate academics that are more inclusive than the bee, Stickler said. She said the district would be looking for ideas and community sponsors in the coming months.
Dropping the bee didn’t sit well with school board member Sara Chapell, who questioned it at Tuesday’s board meeting.
She called the bee “one of the very few academic things we do year after year. We don’t have many academic extracurricular activities… I want to know what you’re going to do to replace it,” Chapell said. “Maybe we should find something more fun or relevant but I’m afraid (the bee) won’t be replaced by anything.”
School administrators – including dean of students Renee Martin – said the bee also was a strain on a shrinking teaching staff. “It’s a matter of resources. Who do we have to help us do that?” Martin said.
Superintendent Ginger Jewell, who described the bee as a “bridge too far,” said the district was committed to students who are academically oriented. Christine Briggs, the board’s student representative, noted that a “Battle of the Books” event was being organized through the school library.
Chapell also noted that the district’s participation in the National History Day contest has been discontinued. Middle school social studies teacher Lisa Andriesen said Tuesday she opted to not participate in the contest during the current school year, but may return to participating in future years.