[Drake]

I agree that you have to talk to your administrators and work out a deal with them. Try to deal with any and all issues that may arise.

If they don't want to allow the team because of safety concerns write up a small syllabus that contains either a lecture concerning safety practices and a test to go with it, and maybe write up a liability waiver. Or, just use hand tools, and hope that it works out in the end.

If their issue is sponsorship, try asking for sponsorship from businesses from the area. My school district hasn't officially sponsored any of the teams in the district in years. We're very lucky to have corporate sponsorship from BEA Systems, and just by looking at the FRC master list you can notice that a large percentage of the teams have some form of sponsorship. Try your hand at fund raising.

Or if they have concerns over space being taken up by the team, try asking around your community for a space they might have available for the team to use. There is always someone willing to help, even if the space is small. Teams have built their robot in a space the size of the pits at the competitions, don't fret.

But the best approach is to provide evidence of how FIRST has affected your alumni, and proof of how you are taking safety into account. Talk with everyone you can and ask the member's parents to phone and talk with the appropriate members about allowing the team to continue.