Public school officials are taking in stride a student’s request to add a gay-straight alliance as an approved Vicksburg High School organization, while also indicating no such group will be approved this year.

The reason, said Vicksburg Warren School Superindendent Dr. James Price, is that rules say any new club must be organized during the summer so students have an equal opportunity to join at registration.

VHS Principal Charlie Tolliver said one group had already been turned down on its bid to start a new organization since classes started Aug. 6. The paperwork for the gay-straight alliance has been submitted and is in process, he said, while indicating it will meet the same fate.

Tolliver and other Vicksburg High administrators also said the application makes clear the goal in the proposal is not to promote homosexuality for high school students, but to promote tolerance for different life choices.

Although similar clubs can be found at public colleges in Mississippi and throughout the nation, having such an organization at the secondary school level is not common. There are no such clubs in any Mississippi high school, Price said. There are gay-straight alliances in some states’ high schools, including Kentucky.

&#8220Yes, we have had two different groups of students who have proposed new clubs within the past month,” Tolliver said. &#8220Just this week, after reviewing our organizational structure, I sent word back to the proposed sponsor of one of the groups that we won’t be starting the club this year. The proposal for the club needs to be resubmitted over the summer to be a part of the scheduling for next school year.

&#8220The other club just this week finished submitting paperwork, and we’re in the process of reviewing that now,” Tolliver said, referring to the gay-straight alliance.

The Board of Trustees’ policy on the issue states that administrators of each school approve the organization of all student clubs, Price said.

The policy continues, &#8220…All clubs, organizations or activities shall have a faculty sponsor selected by the principal. Faculty members interested in specific clubs or activities should share their interest with the principal.”

Tolliver said although a faculty member had volunteered to sponsor the club, according to the proposed constitution, he has not had any communication about the issue with the teacher.