The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education voted at its meeting Thursday to withdraw support from the Boy Scouts, giving them until June 30, the end of the school year, to find new facilities.
The decision comes after the Supreme Court's October 1999 ruling that the Boy Scouts can legally exclude homosexuals as members and volunteers. Like many other boards of education nationwide, local board members decided they were violating their own nondiscrimination policy by allowing the Boy Scouts privileged access to school facilities.
The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have historically been the only outside groups allowed to use school facilities free of charge. But the board's action last night will change that.
The new policy the board adopted allows use with "no fees or very low fees" for any "youth-serving groups" that meet certain criteria.
The criteria include compliance with school board policies, including nondiscrimination, and goals compatible with those of the school board.
"We didn't want to create a situation just for Scouts," said Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools spokeswoman Kim Hoke.
In addition to losing meeting space, the two Cub Scout packs chartered by local schools will lose their charters in June.
Last night's decision was one of two options presented to the board. The other option considered, to have the local Boy Scout units continue using schools after signing a contract pledging compliance with school board nondiscrimination policies, was rejected due to lack of support from Boy Scout leaders. "I can't see how local organizations can say we will be in defiance of Boy Scouts national policy but still be a Boy Scout organization," said local Eagle Scout Andrew Ross. "I don't really consider that a viable option."
Ross said he had hoped the board would defer a decision on the matter until after the annual national meeting of Boy Scout councils in May.
