Cyndi Loza

After three pilots were killed during last year’s competition, parents were given a choice to opt out of having their children attend the Reno National Championship Air Races this year.

“Obviously, I do have concerns about students potentially witnessing an accident,” Superintendent Paul Dugan said. “But, after meeting with (air races association president Mike Houghton), they put a great deal of effort in turning this into more of an educational experience and less of them sitting and watching the race.

“At the same time, I wanted to make sure parents had a clear opportunity to have their son or daughter not participate if they choose to.”

The letter sent last week was to be signed and returned if a parent did not want their child to attend the air races.

“As school district employees, we will take all normal precautions to ensure the safety of the students on this field trip,” the letter said. “However, we need to make you aware that there is the potential for students to witness a crash — as was the case for some students during the air races of 2007.”

About 2,771 students are expected to attend the event Thursday and Friday. About 3,370 students attended the event over three days in 2007.

Students won’t be passive observers, said Steve Mulvenon, district spokesman.

“When students go there, they’re not there as spectators,” Mulvenon said. “They’re there to meet with pilots and mechanics, go through the static displays, learn about aeronautics (and) learn about the physics of flight.”

Tamala Green, Parent-Teacher Organization president at Towles Elementary School, said she is concerned for the fourth-graders she is chaperoning at this year’s event.

“Especially with what happened this weekend, with that one pilot, it definitely makes me go ‘hmm,’” said Green, 41, referring to a killed during a practice flight Saturday. “It gives me pause to think about it, but not enough to not go.”

Sparks High Principal Doug Parry said he has one special education class attending the event.

“I think you have to weigh the event with, unfortunately, sometimes the catastrophic accidents that have happened,” Parry said. “It’s kind of one of those that you have to weigh it out but, at the same token, there’s a big benefit for kids to see it as well.”

Visit AirRace.org for more information.