We hope the Warren County School Board's directors have thoroughly considered all of the ramifications and possible complications of their action to keep sports programs at each of the four high schools as well as middle school level sports.
As a for-fee system, the concept seems to indicate that there will be no "cuts." You pay your money; you get on the team. At least we think most people will assume that principle.
However, the concept is "pay to participate," not "pay to play." If players A, B and C pay the same fee as players D, C and E, but the latter group spends its season "on the bench," the district is likely to get complaints from the latter's group of parents, despite the disclaimer that playing time is not guaranteed. Or, in the case where booster groups underwrite player fees, will there be complaints from Player F that Player A got more playing time because A's parents contributed more to the booster group?
There will have to be deadlines established to make sure there are sufficient private dollars available for sufficient players to field a team in time for a sports' schedule to be established. If 24 players are required, such as in football, and only sufficient private money for 23, then those 23 fees will have to be refunded. With that in mind, will Abraxas, which currently pays the school district $75 per football player, have to pony up substantially more per player next year? And, if Abraxas decides not to, what then happens to the Sheffield football and wrestling programs, which rely on Abraxas to fill out their rosters?
The idea of organizing scholastic sports suddenly gets more complicated and the potential for conflicts increases.
But, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief that this knotty problem of sports is finally behind us.
Is it possible at this point to start to concern ourselves with restoring curtailed curriculum and student services as the school board hurtles (hurdles, for those seeking a sports analogy) toward a budget that threatens to undermine academic achievement in this county?