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Extracurricular activities have resumed at schools for military families after sports and other school-related activities were halted for several days due to the federal government shutdown.
For students at places like Fort Campbell and Fort Knox high schools, that means touchdowns, soccer goals and volleyball digs are back, as if their schools were untouched by the politics of the shutdown.
Antonia Kruse, who has a son, said, “Allowing sports to continue is a small thing for some people, but it’s a huge deal for students, coaches and parents.” levyPlays wide receiver and cornerback on the Fort Campbell High football team, said Tuesday. “Being military dependents, they already have a lot of unknowns in their lives. They can find some kind of stability in their sports and activities.”
Schools remained open for normal educational activities during the government shutdown. But the Congress impasse left other school-related activities, even practices, in limbo. Fort Knox is in the middle kentucky While Fort Campbell straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee border. The closure disrupted extracurriculars at other military post schools, including teams at Camp Lejeune North Carolina,
Kentucky Sen. mitch mcconnell Relief for military families welcomed.
“Our service members and their children should not pay the price for Washington’s failure to defund the government,” McConnell said in a statement Tuesday evening. “I am very grateful that he will now be able to get fit and get back into the game.”
Republican senators successfully intervened in the matter. He wrote a letter to the Defense Secretary pete hegseth Last week, schools were asked to designate athletics and extracurricular activities as activities allowed to proceed despite the shutdown. His request was accepted within a few days.
The Department of Defense Education Activity, known as DoDEA, administers prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs for the Department of Defense. DoDEA said in a statement that it had received instructions from Hegseth that all student extracurricular activities, including athletics and afterschool clubs, be considered “excepted activities during the current lapse in appropriations.”
At Fort Campbell High, that means the girls volleyball team’s banner season won’t be derailed. The team is headed for the school’s first winning campaign in 15 years in the sport.
Without practicing for a week, the team bounced right back Tuesday by winning its first match since playing resumed, parent Sarah Moore said. The team’s senior night game last week was canceled due to the government shutdown.
Moore, whose daughter, Ava, plays on the team, said, “They have worked so hard to improve and be competitive this year, they can’t wait to get back on the court.”
“We are grateful to those who stood up and took action for our children,” he said.
The disruption affected more than sports.
This applies to activities such as the Lejeune High School Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program, which has been recognized for its superior performance. Cadets from the program have participated in community service projects, leadership training exercises and competitive events, the school said.