Exciting debate up at the Kentucky Board of Education the past two days.

 

On Wednesday, the Management Committee of the Board voted 3-2 to recommend passage of KHSAA's Proposal 2 to the full board. Proposal 2, as you recall, was the Proposal that sought to impose a one-year outright period of high school athletic ineligibility on players who transferred from public to private or vice versa, at the 7th grade or later. It also imposes a designated feeder school on all systems, public and private, with a mile radius feeder system for schools with enrollment of 300 or less. It also contained several miscellaneous provisions regarding punishments and other matters.

 

The Management Committee had voted for recommendation of Proposal 2 as it stood, with the only modifications were extending the mile-radius for small schools from 20-30 miles, and also to require Board of Control votes to be public rather than private. Board members Webb, Rhodes, and Baird voted for the Proposal in management commitee, with Board members Hubbard and Gibbons opposed.

 

The matter came before the full Board today. It was entertaining. First out of the gate was discussion about the KHSAA proposal to punish schools who complied with court orders allowing a child to compete even though the KHSAA had said otherwise. Ms. DeVries admitted that they wanted to punish schools who complied with court orders disagreeing with the KHSAA. Board member Joe Brothers from E-Town blistered them about that, and the full board agreed and that Proposal was shot down.

 

With that as backdrop, they proceeded on to Proposal 2. One by one, the Board members discussed how they felt it was unfair to punish a child in that situation. Eventually, Proposal 2 was defeated by a 7-4 vote and stood dead at that point.

 

Then a Board member made a motion to approve Proposal 2 in the modified form that included the period of ineligibility from games, but allows them to participate and practice with their team during that one year. That modified form of Proposal 2 passed, and will be implemented, together with the feeder school requirement.

 

The rule and I understand it now is that if your child transfers from a public middle school to a private high school or vice versa, he/she will be able to practice with the school team, but not play in contests, his/her first year. All schools will now have a defined list of middle schools which they may draw children from, with schools under 300 students drawing from a 30-mile radius.

 

All in all, I think both sides in this debate are going to walk away unhappy. However, I think the Board of Education/King Solomon did a good job. A settlement where both sides walk away grumbling is usually a pretty good one.

I have a lot of racing/random thoughts on this but one of the first issues that comes to mind for me is right in Boone County where half the kids from Ockerman Middle School go to Ryle and the other half go to Boone. I wonder what the school system will do with Ockerman (make it a Boone or Ryle school). Or, if the powers that be will make it a Longbranch (new school) feeder school.

 

I wonder how much thought went into this in places like Boone County.

I have a lot of racing/random thoughts on this but one of the first issues that comes to mind for me is right in Boone County where half the kids from Ockerman Middle School go to Ryle and the other half go to Boone. I wonder what the school system will do with Ockerman (make it a Boone or Ryle school). Or, if the powers that be will make it a Longbranch (new school) feeder school.

 

I wonder how much thought went into this in places like Boone County.

 

I don't think the feeder schools list has been defined yet, and it will be administratively done by the KHSAA BOC. I could see even more in-fighting over that than the rule itself.

 

I think the process of "lobbying" to be in a certain feeder system could be ripe for fraud.

I have a lot of racing/random thoughts on this but one of the first issues that comes to mind for me is right in Boone County where half the kids from Ockerman Middle School go to Ryle and the other half go to Boone. I wonder what the school system will do with Ockerman (make it a Boone or Ryle school). Or, if the powers that be will make it a Longbranch (new school) feeder school.

 

I wonder how much thought went into this in places like Boone County.

 

Interesting. Boone's policy today is that you cannot go to a high school other than the high school whose district you live. It is not based on middle schools as far as I know.

 

I can't imagine Boone wants to change the way they distribute students to its already crowded high schools simply to comply with a KHSAA proposal.

I assume this proposal would also cover public to public scenarios, correct?

 

Kenton County currently has an open enrollment policy for its high schools. If a child goes to Woodland (Scott High feeder ) but chooses to go to Dixie Heights would they, too, fall under the one year ban?

One thing is for sure 81, the KHSAA will now be dictating to Boone County School System what kids go where and it will be different that what the powers that be at Boone had in mind.

 

I think you could end up with two or three of the Boone County schools being 6A and one or two of them being 4A or 5A once the KHSAA tells them how they are going to conduct business.

 

I agree this is very interesting where I live.

I assume this proposal would also cover public to public scenarios, correct?

 

Kenton County currently has an open enrollment policy for its high schools. If a child goes to Woodland (Scott High feeder ) but chooses to go to Dixie Heights would they, too, fall under the one year ban?

 

I think it would have to apply to Kenton County also or it could not withstand legal challenge. In other words, no more "open enrollment" in Kenton County.

One thing is for sure 81, the KHSAA will now be dictating to Boone County School System what kids go where and it will be different that what the powers that be at Boone had in mind.

 

I think you could end up with two or three of the Boone County schools being 6A and one or two of them being 4A or 5A once the KHSAA tells them how they are going to conduct business.

 

I agree this is very interesting where I live.

 

So the KHSAA can actually force a school district to change how they allocate students in its district? Tail wagging the dog?

So the KHSAA can actually force a school district to change how they allocate students in its district? Tail wagging the dog?

 

I assume Boone County will be able to decide what middle school feeds to what high school but all the kids from a middle school will have to go to the same high school unlike what they do now in Boone County. Indirectly, I think Prop 2 does force a school district like Boone County to change how they allocate students in their district.

I assume this proposal would also cover public to public scenarios, correct?

 

Kenton County currently has an open enrollment policy for its high schools. If a child goes to Woodland (Scott High feeder ) but chooses to go to Dixie Heights would they, too, fall under the one year ban?

Channel 18, Lexington, said only public to private or private to public.

Channel 18, Lexington, said only public to private or private to public.

 

....then the KHSAA has not considered this thoroughly.

 

If its all about keeping kids in the feeder system my example would have to fall under the rule, correct?

Channel 18, Lexington, said only public to private or private to public.

 

If that is the case then how does "Independent" fit into the equation?

I assume Boone County will be able to decide what middle school feeds to what high school but all the kids from a middle school will have to go to the same high school unlike what they do now in Boone County. Indirectly, I think Prop 2 does force a school district like Boone County to change how they allocate students in their district.

Very true. Channel 18 (and others) who weren't even at either meeting, got it dead wrong. It effects all schools (as written on the KHSAA web site) equally.

Very true. Channel 18 (and others) who weren't even at either meeting, got it dead wrong. It effects all schools (as written on the KHSAA web site) equally.

 

I don't like Prop 2 at all but if you are going to have such an animal it should effect all schools exactly the same.

I have a lot of racing/random thoughts on this but one of the first issues that comes to mind for me is right in Boone County where half the kids from Ockerman Middle School go to Ryle and the other half go to Boone. I wonder what the school system will do with Ockerman (make it a Boone or Ryle school). Or, if the powers that be will make it a Longbranch (new school) feeder school.

 

I wonder how much thought went into this in places like Boone County.

 

Daviess Co. has a middle school with this same situation. College View Middle sends half its students to Daviess Co. while the other half go to Apollo. We have 2 public high schools and 3 public middle schools. When CVMS was first announced many thought that a 3rd HS would be forthcoming. There have also been rumors that Daviess Co. Public Schools and Owensboro City Schools might merge at some point.

 

 

BTW, Is Longbranch to be an new HS? If so where will it be located?