School Board Votes “No” on Sports-Related Transfers
by Nathan Lasher
In an extraordinary move, approximately 28 secondary student transfer requests for the 2010-2011 school year were denied by the Armstrong School Board during a special meeting held last night.
The requests were initiated since the decision by the school board to reopen Elderton Junior-Senior High School. Students who had listed “sports” as a reason for desiring transfers from Elderton Jr-Sr High School were denied by the board.
This marked the first time in recent years that such requests approved by the school district administration were denied by the school board.
As the special meeting began and the public was asked to comment on agenda items, three different residents asked for the transfers to be awarded.
Sherf
Janette Sherf of Kittanning Township was the first to speak. “I’m asking the board to allow all of the transfers for the 2010-2011 school year,” Sherf said. “I could give you a long list of reasons why we have requested your transfers. However, I don’t feel the reasons are that important, and, to my knowledge, they have never been of interest to the board in the past. In addition, I would like to say that you are all on the board because the tax payers voted you here under the assumption that you would work on our behalf. I feel that the reopening of Elderton was working on behalf of some, but not of all the taxpayers, and I’m asking for you to do the same now. These transfers are the taxpayers’ way of letting you know exactly what they want. Please vote accordingly.”
Student transfers were routinely awarded until the board reached transfer requests from Pine and Rayburn Townships. At that time, the issue of sports transfers came up.
“I’m going to bring up that there are reasons on here such as sports, and that’s an invalid reason according to our transfer policy, and also according to PIAA rules which I have in front of me,” said Board President Rose Stitt. “We’ve never done this before knowingly that we did transfers for sports. I, personally, am not going to start it right now because what we will end up with is kids transferring that leaves the door open to the entire school district to, if someone wants to be on a good football team everyone go to one school, or everyone who wants to be in wrestling go to the other school. That’s a bad precedent to set. We’ve never done it before knowingly, and I’m not going to do it tonight, so I’ll be voting no when anyone has the reason for sports listed.”
Board Member Christopher Choncek added, “But I’d also like to say that includes continuity of education as well; not just sports.”
“But I can’t ignore that somebody put sports on there, but thank you for bringing that up,” replied Stitt.
Board Member Joseph Close asked Stitt, “What if they wouldn’t have put sports on the transcript?”
“If they wouldn’t have put sports on then I couldn’t read their mind to know that,” answered Stitt.
- [Garritano]
Later in the meeting, Assistant Superintendent and Director of Human Resources Dr. Frank Garritano explained that he was asked by Armstrong School District Superintendent Dr. William Kerr to follow through with information received from the Executive Director of WPIAL, Timothy O’Malley, regarding the matter.
“On April 15, Mr. O’Malley sent me an email indicating that he was contacted by a board member regarding WPIAL where students would be permitted to transfer and/or eligible from the beginning of the school year. There are two sections of PIAA rules and regulations or bylaws. It’s article 3 section 10 and article 6 section 2b.” Garritano went on to say, “What Mr. O’Malley indicated, and I’ll read a portion of this, the question came up, ‘what about transfers? What about where students are eligible?’ He says, in summary, the impending reopening of Elderton will ultimately require attendance decisions, and, basically, wherever the students attend school of the first day or where they attend practice if it occurs prior to the first day of school is where they are eligible. Article 3 section 10 explains this reality as does article 6 section 2b. He goes on to say, now if a student after attending school or that first practice before school begins wants to transfer after that time, then the Interscholastic Athletic Eligibility would need to be determined by the WPIAL.”
When Dr. Garritano was done, Board Vice President Dr. James Solak asked for clarification. “So, if I understand you correctly, you are saying that O’Malley is saying that if we have the top football students in this school district that he doesn’t care if they all transfer to one school, and the top basketball students transfer to another school in the same way. Is that what he’s saying?”
“I believe what he is saying is that it’s where the students begin the school year or have the first practice, and it’s up to the school district to make that determination as to which school that would be,” replied Garritano.
Solak reworded his question. “Let me put it another way,” he said. “If we had 30 requests tonight from across the district from outstanding football players wanting to go to Kittanning, you’re saying O’Malley wouldn’t care if the board doesn’t care?”
“That is correct,” responded Garritano.
“Well, I’m telling you that I care, as a board member, because that is going to cause, throughout the district, you’re going to have average athletes competing against elsewhere which would open them up to safety factors also,” said Solak. “Furthermore, if we are to believe that this board wants to adopt such a measure where we would have a football school or a basketball school, and that’s what would happen, then why do we have number 6 in our policy that says that students have to sit out a year?”
According to guideline number 6 of Policy 252 of the Armstrong School District, students in grades 9-12 only receiving Board approved transfers or transfers to another school within the district by Resident and Right to Free School Privileges Affidavit shall be ineligible to participate in any sports for a period of one calendar year immediately following the transfer.
When it came time for the vote regarding secondary student transfer requests related to the reopening of Elderton Jr-Sr High School, Christopher Choncek voted yes; Joe Close voted yes; Michael Markilinski voted no; John Monroe voted yes; James Rearick voted yes; Royce Smeltzer voted no; James Solak voted no; Sara Yassem voted no; and Rose Stitt voted yes except for transfers from Lenape Tech and transfers that were sports related.
This left the vote with five members in favor of the transfers and four against. Transfers were voted to be accepted with the exception that, because of Stitt’s vote, transfers from Lenape and transfers that were sports-related were denied.
“Tonight there were 27 transfers that were turned down because of sports,” said Markilinski during a phone interview after the meeting. “The critical thing is there were other transfers in there that people didn’t list sports, but we know that they transferred for sports, and anybody that’s transferring from one school to another, they have to sit out a year for sports. That’s according to Policy 252. They have to sit out a year.”
Solak added, “If you got approved for a transfer tonight, and you intend on playing sports, the only way you can play without sitting out a year is to go back to Elderton.”
Persons attending the meeting, who wish to remain unnamed, were upset with the board’s decision and cited policy 252. Those in attendance understood that guideline 6 of policy 252 prohibits students from playing sports for a year after they transfer. They wondered why transfers from Elderton Jr-Sr high school were blocked when ASD Board policy would outrank the WPIAL’s opinion of eligibility. Students transferring for sports-related reasons before the beginning of the school year would not be eligible to play. They questioned why the board was concerned with students transferring for sports-related reasons when their own policy would make the students sit out for a year.
“The parents should be the final authority in the education of their child,” one person remarked. “If they want their child at a particular school - for whatever reason - that decision should be theirs to make and not qualified by the school board.”
Print
Armstrong School District | nlasher April 20, 2010
12 Comments
Other Links to this Post
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
By DANBOY, April 20, 2010 @ 6:58 AM
Now Dr. Kerr would you tell me again why you are leaving for Norwin?? To quote the Head Inmate Let me put it another way I care and it is my way or no way. By the way Mr Monroe did you not get the MEMO.
By Linda, April 20, 2010 @ 7:26 AM
And if you want to play football, for example, and you had been at FCHS or KHS during this school year and played football, but now you must return to Elderton, where are you going to play football?
By Linda, April 20, 2010 @ 7:27 AM
I think that I know the answer to my own question, but I want to hear the answer from an expert.
By ToddAshbaugh, April 20, 2010 @ 7:34 AM
This clearly is a decision made in the best interest of the children (enter sarcastic look here).
By RizzoSports, April 20, 2010 @ 7:42 AM
WPIAL / PIAA, have nothing to do with transfers. They can in theory block them from participating in a sport, and can’t block them for transferring school. - To clarify.
As I mentioned months ago, even through I predicted someone from the ASD would try to get the WPIAL to block participation, they would not, given this scenario, of closing/openings a H.S.
Who cares if a kid transfers and want to play sports. I hope someone changes policy 252. What about the other kids not from Elderton who happen to live outside a high school boundaries, but go to that high school? This makes the board look like a bunch of thugs. it’s sad for the people involved but comical for everyone else.
By bweitzel, April 20, 2010 @ 8:50 AM
The decision to deny transfers should not come as a surprise to anyone. If it does, then you obviously haven’t been paying attention to the direction this current board majority is headed. Look at all of the damage this current board has caused in just a matter of a few short months. And lucky for us, these recent decisions will continue to haunt us for years to come! What a sad, sad day for the kids of the Armstrong School District.
By rudytuesday, April 20, 2010 @ 9:31 AM
Please watch this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoSP-hU005o
In ED-6, 2 out of 6 transfers listed sports and they were approved. Yassem voted YES on this one because it did not affect EHS, these were Pine and Rayburn wanting to remain at Kittanning.
Yes - Rearic, Yassem, Choncek, Close and Monroe
No - MJM, Smeltzer
No on ones that list sports, Yes on all others - Stitt and Solak
If you put sports as one of the reasons 5-4 motion carries
Any other reasons listed 7-2 motion carries
No transfers were denied.
By ASDpayer, April 20, 2010 @ 9:33 AM
Well the ASD board danced on a dime to try and keep up enrollment at EHS. So they let us see what tyrants they really are. They hid behind edu-babble and the students will suffer. How really disappointing for so many students.
By WOW, April 20, 2010 @ 3:05 PM
Please explain how 2 siblings apply for transfer and 1 gets approved and 1 does not. Continuity of education, I think not!!!
By Jen16226, April 20, 2010 @ 5:11 PM
If you are a parent, who had a transfer denied last night, please email HERC-ACT at info@asd-news.com Please pass this information on to any parent you know may be in this situation. We have some information for you.
By FORTHECHILDREN, April 20, 2010 @ 7:50 PM
For all those that keep repeating yourself that nobody is listening to what the children want. Why are you concerned now? When Elderton was closed the students made a plea to keep the school open. Nobody cared or listened so why all the concern now. Believe me Elderton isn’t the best place in the world to live but at one time they did have a strong community spirit, but I must say after all the debate the community people are starting to turn on each other and the spirit has been declining. Everyone do what needs done and more forward in life.
By Jan, April 20, 2010 @ 9:08 PM
The super six approved academic transfers. So they must feel that Elderton will offer an inferior education. To the parents of the 28 denied, pay particular attention to your kid’s schedule. With 40 or less seniors and juniors per class, scheduling will be a nightmare. Do not accept 2 classes in 1 period. An example would be French 3/4 combined or Calc/Algebra 3. This is not being done in the other schools. With such a small school size, beware of making choices. Since Elderton will be so small, Bio 2 and Calc may be singletons, single classes offered the same period. You son/daughter may be forced to make choices. If these situations happen, contact your administration. Wait…there is none. They have all left. Contact your board member…or your lawyer. Whichever you prefer first. Since the sole criteria of this group of 6 is sports, I would hope that sport scholarships are in the future. But, to face facts, academic scholarships are what you are hoping for, and if you have to sue to get what you want, sue away. Your child’s education is important to you. This group is not interested in your child’s education. Old, under-utilized buildings are all that matter to them.