School board gives green light for gay support group

The first step in developing a Gay/Straight Alliance Club at Lake Roosevelt High School was approved by the Grand Coulee Dam School District board of directors Monday night.

The board has asked the group to return in March with a set of bylaws, a purpose statement and financial cost to the district.

Associated Student Body President Brandin Smith and LRHS counselor Andrea Sperberg presented the idea to the board. Its members gave a unanimous vote for the idea with a request for more information.

The club would provide a place where gay students could find a support group, and provide information to other students in the hope of eliminating bad behavior towards gay students at the school.

Principal Brandon Byers said the group is currently going through all the hoops of forming a new student body club.

The board said if everything goes right the club would have a test time for the remainder of this school year, and then would have to get board approval for the 2014-15 school year sometime in August.

The cost of an advisor was estimated at just under $600 a year.