---
title: "Richmond School District restores competitive track meets with placement ribbons for spring 2027"
description: "The Richmond School District will bring back placement ribbons and separate boys' and girls' events for elementary school track meets in spring 2027, after 87 per cent of students surveyed said they wanted ribbons restored."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/richmond-2026/news/richmond-schools-track-field-ribbons-2026-11-05"
last_updated: "2026-11-05T15:43:00.660Z"
---

The Richmond School District will bring back placement ribbons and competitive events at elementary school track meets starting in spring 2027, reversing a format that had removed ribbons and gender-separated events when it was introduced in May 2026, Richmond News reported November 4.

The spring 2027 format will include a choice between competitive and recreational events, separate boys' and girls' categories, and placement ribbons for students who compete. District spokesperson David Sadler told Richmond News there may also be some events where students participate in a group, though he gave no details on whether gender-neutral events would be included.

## What the survey showed

The district surveyed students, staff, families and community members after the May 2026 format drew backlash. The results, as reported by Richmond News from a notice on the Richmond School District's website:

- 87 per cent of students supported bringing back ribbons in competitive events
- 92 per cent of parents supported it
- 68 per cent of district staff supported it
- 89 per cent of community members supported it

Many students said in the survey that ribbons made them "want to try harder" and "push themselves to do their best." District staff said in their responses that students are motivated by rewards and that ribbons are a way to "recognize their hard work and success in athletics."

## What changed in May 2026 and why

In May 2026, the district introduced a new format for grades 4 to 7 elementary track meets. The format dropped placement ribbons and made events gender neutral. The stated goal was to increase participation by offering every student the chance to try every event. A "challenge by choice" option let students decide whether to take part competitively or recreationally.

The change drew backlash from parents and students, including a petition asking for the old format to be restored.

## What comes next

The 2026-2030 Board of Education took office in early November 2026. Its seven trustees are [Rod Belleza](/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/rod-belleza), [Dean Billings](/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/dean-billings) and [Danny Chang](/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/danny-chang) (Advance Richmond), [Ken Hamaguchi](/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/ken-hamaguchi) and [Heather Larson](/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/heather-larson) (Richmond Education Party), [Alice Wong](/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/alice-wong) (Common Sense) and [Donna Sargent](/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/donna-sargent) (Independent). Their pages and tracked promises are at [/bc/richmond-2026/tracker](/bc/richmond-2026/tracker).

The district is still working on the operational details for the 2027 meets. Parents can follow updates on the Richmond School District's website.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/richmond-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.