Category: High School Sports

The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools are considering a change to athletic eligibility rules.

The KCK school board discussed the issue on Sept. 20, and is scheduled to consider it at tonight’s meeting starting at 5 p.m.

Under the proposed change, any high school or middle school student who has a grade point average below 2.0 (a C average) or any failing grades of F on the mid-quarter and quarter grade reports would be required to participate in a student support plan (SSP) at the student’s school in order to practice or play.

Students who do not follow their SSP would not be allowed to participate, according to the proposed change.

Students would attend after-school tutoring for 30 minutes before attending practice, according to the proposed change. Their grades would be checked each week. Teachers would sign off on a pass to show that the student attended an appointment to work with them. Students who didn’t have the pass could not practice.

Students also would participate in early release tutoring, where resources are available, according to the proposed policy.

According to the new policy, SSPs would provie students who have been quarantined from school the support needed without losing the opportunity to participate in athletics and activities.

Tammie Romstad, district athletic director, said at the Sept. 20 meeting that 70 percent of the lower grades had more to do with not having work turned in. She said they are trying to make arrangements for these students to have a study time before attending practice.

She said the proposal is to design a plan tailored for the student and that helps with their needs.

She said this policy creates urgency with students because they knew they were being held out of practice until they get their schoolwork done.

Wanda Paige, a school board member who is a former teacher, said she was concerned about the policy. She said it’s good to have the SSP, as students need the support, but she has an issue with suspending the current requirement.

“To me, if you don’t have your grades together, you don’t need to be participating,” she said. “I would not let them compete.”

Coaches need to be making sure that the athletes get their work in, according to Paige.

Because colleges don’t let students play unless they are academically where they need to be, Paige said she’s not sure if they’re helping students by changing this policy.

“We may be setting them up for failure,” she said.

Superintendent Anna Stubblefield did not disagree with her, but said the students today may miss practice for a week, not due to anything they did. Sometimes there is a time lag between the time the student turns in the assignment and the time it is recorded. This year, there could be delays in recording the assignments as they were absent from a quarantine.

Dr. Valdenia Winn, a board member, said she did not support suspending the requirement for the building policy because it sends the message that grades are not important and there’s no consequence for making an F or a D.

“Quarantine is not an excuse for lack of performance and responsibility,” she said.

“My generation expected performance,” she said. “They expected you to make the grade before you could go to the dance or student council.”

“We need to maintain high expectations,” Dr. Winn said.

Dr. Stacy Yeager, a board member, said it was important to recognize it’s 2021 and they are in a pandemic. Both teachers and students have been placed on quarantines.

She was in favor of showing support for students and continuing to work toward the goal.

Athletics is a way for students to get out of their situations and go to college, Dr. Yeager said.

It’s important for the board to make a decision to help insure the students can play sports and continue to work on their GPA, she said.