Pay to Play

Trisha Hall at the
recent parents' forum

This is a report on the May 1, 2013 ORCSD board meeting.  I wrote this before I remembered I don't usually like just doing meeting reports.

It's decided: graduation day is definitely June 14th, 6pm on the field.  This is despite receiving the waiver from NH Education Commissioner Virginia Barry allowing us to move the date back to the 7th.  The decision was made two Monday's ago not to change the date a second time.

Please vote for Oyster River's own Neville C. for Doodle 4 Google.  Congratulations to Neville for making it into the top 10 in the country in the 8-9 group (eighth and ninth grade).

Congratulations to district parent and district kindergarten teacher Trisha Hall on being promoted to Moharimet first grade teacher.  The position is one of a few (4 of 17) retirements that needed to be replaced.  My boy was incredibly lucky to have Mrs. Hall for K at Mast Way.  I don't think it was stated at the meeting, but I had the impression that the vacated kindergarten position would not be replaced.  It appears to be a deft move by the superintendent to retain a popular and effective teacher while shedding a position.

Football News

Policy JJIF (Athletic Policy - Sanctioning of Sports) (page 4) generated some discussion.  Board member Rotner was most concerned about the Pay to Play passage:

Pay to Play.  The School Board supports the concept of pay to play in part or in whole of any given Board approved athletic program and will follow Board policy and transportation may or may not be provided.

Vice Chairman Newkirk transformed into an English professor, suggesting edits.  (He chaired tonight's meeting -- get well soon Maria.)  He was also concerned that once a sport reached a certain level, Policy JJIF required the district to pay for it, at least in part:

School-sponsored sport.  This is the final level of sanctioning.  The School Board assumes all the responsibilities listed above for a school sport.  In addition, the school district pays for some or all of the activity's uniforms and equipment.  The level of responsibility for uniforms and equipment may vary from activity to activity depending on the costs involved and the individual agreement between the school district and any affiliated booster costs (except coaches and insurance costs) associated with teams other than varsity and junior varsity, reserve and middle school teams. Transportation may or may not be provided.

There's similar language that requires the district to pay for the second level, school sport.

The superintendent said Pay to Play was the current district practice.  The board approved the policy for first read, with the policy committee attempting a rewrite to reflect current district practice as well as the objections of some board members.

Board member Rotner's objection was primarily that by requiring students to pay to play, the least well-off among us may be unable to participate.  There was nothing about waivers or scholarships in the policy, nor is there likely to be in the rewrite.  If sports don't serve an important educational function, we probably shouldn't have them at school.    If sports do serve an important educational function, we probably have to make sure there's an opportunity for each student to participate regardless of ability to pay.

The term "Pay to Play" isn't defined in the policy.  I thought of Alan Freed, so I looked it up.  It apparently refers to a fee paid by parents to the school to play a sport or other activity.  This may be above and beyond having families purchase equipment and uniforms and provide their own transportation.  Forbes reads like a hippy rag on this one:

... that sends a clear message to everyone in the school district, a message opposite of that intended by community-supported public schools: opportunities are available only to those who can pay the fee.  

... Is America the land of opportunity, or the land of opportunity only for those who can afford the price of admission?

Science Daily reports a survey showing 19% of families earning less than $60K decreased participation in school athletics because of costs.

As I read all this, Pay to Play means the taxpayers are subsidizing recreational activities for the children of the affluent.  I don't support this. If we're going to fund these programs, we have to fund that little extra to make sure every student can participate. The budget has $17,000 revenue for "charges for services" and another $196,000 "other revenues" -- I'd like to know how much  of that is pay-to-play and other athletic fees.

Elementary Reconfiguration Path Chosen

There was a tedious discussion about elementary reconfiguration even after the superintendent announced that he had decided as a result of the meeting with the parents to eliminate "Option 1" (Mast Way becomes K-2, Moharimet 3-4).  He requested and eventually got board consensus to focus on a modified dividing line between schools and a smooth transition process, presumably grandfathering families with children already at Moharimet.  Board member Turnbull pressed for the transition to begin in fall of 2013 (aka FY14) rather than wait to FY15 as planned.  The new plan will be presented at the June 5 meeting when we'll probably get to hear the same discussion over again.

The superintendent once again dangled the prospect of 400 students enrolled at Moharimet next year if nothing changes.  It would be way above the projected number of 375.  There are anecdotes of young families moving into the district.   The enrollment forecasts looks most dire for the elementary schools -- it would be interesting if the decline failed to materialize.  The superintendent indicated full day Kindergarten (with tuition) and universal pre-K were "winners for the district" that could happen quickly as space is freed up in the elementary schools.  (I think he attributed the idea to a parent at the forum.)

In other news, there will be a meeting about the tuition student issue on May 30th.  In addition to the usual ways the district reaches out, a postcard will be mailed to every homeowner in the district advising of the meeting.

In closing public comments Krista Butts urged the board to address the elementary school inequities.  Brenda Worden came with an extensive proposal for the district to provide day care for the third week of August, when apparently all the competition closes up to disinfect.  The board came up with a big list of agenda items they'll be too busy to get to.