Lakeview's Swim Makeup Rule for Period Absences Draws Scrutiny
Lakeview High School requires female students who miss swimming because of their periods to have a parent submit a written or email note stating the length of menstrual duration to make up the days. The requirement is in the gym syllabus and was reported by The Guardian on September 17, 2026.
The syllabus section is titled "Non-Swim Days for Pool Only." Under that rule, students must complete dry land workouts to make up missed swim days. Days that are not made up count as non-participation days and place the student on the grade reduction scale, much like losing points for each missed practice.
Parent Andy Amsdill publicly raised concern after seeing the requirement in his daughter's gym syllabus. He said his objection was to the demand for a statement specifying duration, rather than a standard absence note.
Parent Bryan Shishakly said his daughter faced the same requirement as a freshman last year and received a C in gym despite being a straight-A student. His account indicates the language was in use before the current school year and that grade consequences were applied.
Lakeview Public Schools superintendent Karl D Paulson said in a statement that the district became aware of a parent concern about class expectations and sought to schedule a meeting with the parent. The statement describes the response as direct engagement with the family.
Amsdill questioned whether the policy could violate Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal financial assistance. That question connects the syllabus rule to federal civil rights compliance for schools.
The broader context here is administrative rather than medical. Schools routinely require documentation for excused absences and alternate assignments for physical education. This provision is different because of the specificity of the disclosure sought and its link to grading through non-participation accounting.
Looking at what this means for administrators and compliance officers, the immediate variables are narrow. They include syllabus wording, what documentation is minimally necessary to excuse and reschedule pool participation, how makeup work is recorded, and how Title IX obligations are interpreted at the district level. The scheduled parent meeting is the procedural next step, and any revision to the written expectations would carry more weight than a verbal assurance.
