Quite true apparently.

 

Prop 2 will hurt urban schools or rather hurt students in both private and public. The feeder concept is garbage. I grew up in Louisville and now live in Lexington area. I can say that for many families in both areas the plan from day one is to have their children go to a private school through middle school and then go to public HS. And this has nothing to do with athletics. When I grew up it was a combination of expenses and logistics. Trinity and X, etc. cost a lot more than the Catholic grade school. And you have to provide to transportation that you probably did not have to in grade school. Conversely, for many families that plan is to go to public school through middle school and then switch to the private schools in HS since some consider them to be better as a 'college prep school'.

 

So for the families that have plans as described above the concept of 'feeder' schools definitions as in Prop 2 makes no sense. And yet their kids will be banned from playing ANY KHSAA sport and ANY level during their freshmen year. A year when a student most needs extracurricular activities the most to adapt to there new setting.

For the families that you mention, would a waiver stating their attentions when their children ENTER MS (I am assuming most MS's have a 6th grade) suffice? They could sign it that their attention is for their children to attend private/public middle school and then go to the opposite one in HS. No penalty. All know the plans.

 

HS coaches won't look to move the players up to the HS and sink huge amounts of time in their development for that program, knowing they are not going to be there. Or if they do, they know that they are doing so with a player that they will not have.

 

The HS coaching staff that works with the MS program in the offseasons in developing the players they will have at the HS level will know that if they choose to have that player on their AAU team or the such, they are not going to have that player in HS.

 

I think the big thing with the public HS's on this matter is when THEY make a COMMITMENT to a player. They choose that 7th or 8th grader over a HS player and give them the time in games and practice to development, knowing that in the long-term it will make their varsity better and then their freshmen year, they leave for the local private school. They spend spring and summertime practicing and taking players to leagues and then that player leaves for what is PERCEIVED as greener pastures.

 

I know this was the source of tension between the girls programs at Holy Cross and Ludlow.

For the families that you mention, would a waiver stating their attentions when their children ENTER MS (I am assuming most MS's have a 6th grade) suffice? They could sign it that their attention is for their children to attend private/public middle school and then go to the opposite one in HS. No penalty. All know the plans.

 

HS coaches won't look to move the players up to the HS and sink huge amounts of time in their development for that program, knowing they are not going to be there. Or if they do, they know that they are doing so with a player that they will not have.

 

The HS coaching staff that works with the MS program in the offseasons in developing the players they will have at the HS level will know that if they choose to have that player on their AAU team or the such, they are not going to have that player in HS.

 

I think the big thing with the public HS's on this matter is when THEY make a COMMITMENT to a player. They choose that 7th or 8th grader over a HS player and give them the time in games and practice to development, knowing that in the long-term it will make their varsity better and then their freshmen year, they leave for the local private school. They spend spring and summertime practicing and taking players to leagues and then that player leaves for what is PERCEIVED as greener pastures.

 

I know this was the source of tension between the girls programs at Holy Cross and Ludlow.

I'm sorry but this is a tired argument. If coaches are worried about wasting their valuable time "developing" middle school players then don't do it plain and simple, depend on high school players only. You're starting to sound like one of those that thinks they "own" kids when you make arguments like this. I favor aboloshing using MS kids across the board. (and before you say it I know the legislature says you can't do that. On a side note I wonde why the public schools have no problem with that legislative intrusion into high school sports but are outraged over and legislative attempt to protect private school athletics) That would eliminate this argument, coaches wouldn't waste their valuable time developing middle school players and everyone would be happy.

I can only speak on the KHSAA personnel that I personally know and that is not true of those.

 

I can't speak for others involved in this debate that I do not know.

Maybe if you deny it long enough it will go away. I for one think that anyone who truly believes that Sears etal really have the best interests of all kids in the state at heart has their head buried deeply in the sand.

All Tell whose kids do you think Sears has the best interest in mind. He and the other 80% think they are doing the right thing( whether they are or not) and must have strong convictions( as strong as the private side) or they would not be going to the length they are. I am neutral in this, with mixed feelings. My daughter goes to a public school, but she plays AAU with alot of private school kids and I can see both sides to some extent. Just wondering what you think is really behind Sears motivation to push this?

Maybe if you deny it long enough it will go away. I for one think that anyone who truly believes that Sears etal really have the best interests of all kids in the state at heart has their head buried deeply in the sand.

I don't know Mr. Sears, so I cannot speak for him. I can only speak of Gary Dearborn and he has always shown me that he has the best interests of the kids at heart.

All Tell whose kids do you think Sears has the best interest in mind. He and the other 80% think they are doing the right thing( whether they are or not) and must have strong convictions( as strong as the private side) or they would not be going to the length they are. I am neutral in this, with mixed feelings. My daughter goes to a public school, but she plays AAU with alot of private school kids and I can see both sides to some extent. Just wondering what you think is really behind Sears motivation to push this?

I think that Sears primary interest is keeping kids (and tax dollars) in his system. Even though parents of private school students still pay public school taxes the actual amount of money that each school district is given by the state is based in a large part on the number of students enrolled and attending a school. Sears wants those dollars, he as much as said so in the televised debate he had on KET. From what I understand (an I may be in error on this) there have been several small private schools opened recently in that part of the state. Evey student that goes to one of those schools deprives Sears of tax diollars. That's his motivation.

 

Please note that the whole feeder school proposal that he has pushed through completely ignores the students his system takes from other systems. If he were truly committed to ALL schools having very strictly defined feeder schools then he would have insisted that all of the "recripocal agreements" be figured into the mix and students that changes school systems through one of those would also have to sit out.

Somerset Christian Academy is the only private school that I know of in Pulaski County at this time. Emanual Christian is a small school here in Monticello that only goes up to the 5th or 6th grade at present, although I think that they are considering a move up to the high shcool level. Although I do not live in Pulaski Co I do work some there and have not got the impresson from the folks that send their kids to Somerset that they are in a war over kids from the Somerset Christian School, whcih is located in Southwesterns school district, not Somerset High School or Pulaski County High School. Again while I am pretty much neuetral on this issue, we( Wayne County) play anyone public or private and understand that under the rules now, we have to push our programs( I can speak for the girls basketball program) to higher levels to compete with the larger schools, so its really of no effect to us either way. We made the sweet 16 this year and although we lost in the first round, we made it there and we were public. Hats off to Assumption our opponet, they were a tough team. We will strive to go farther next year regardless of whether we play publics or privates.

 

However I can tell you that the majority of the people in this area do not have my point of veiw and I would guess that 95% is in favor of a split, and that may be underestimating the percentage. Almost everyone I talk to wants the publics to be seperate from the privates. When you have that many people,and from most I talk to in other parts, that want a seperation, then all thats gonna stop it is a few years.

Somerset Christian Academy is the only private school that I know of in Pulaski County at this time. Emanual Christian is a small school here in Monticello that only goes up to the 5th or 6th grade at present, although I think that they are considering a move up to the high shcool level. Although I do not live in Pulaski Co I do work some there and have not got the impresson from the folks that send their kids to Somerset that they are in a war over kids from the Somerset Christian School, whcih is located in Southwesterns school district, not Somerset High School or Pulaski County High School. Again while I am pretty much neuetral on this issue, we( Wayne County) play anyone public or private and understand that under the rules now, we have to push our programs( I can speak for the girls basketball program) to higher levels to compete with the larger schools, so its really of no effect to us either way. We made the sweet 16 this year and although we lost in the first round, we made it there and we were public. Hats off to Assumption our opponet, they were a tough team. We will strive to go farther next year regardless of whether we play publics or privates.

 

However I can tell you that the majority of the people in this area do not have my point of veiw and I would guess that 95% is in favor of a split, and that may be underestimating the percentage. Almost everyone I talk to wants the publics to be seperate from the privates. When you have that many people,and from most I talk to in other parts, that want a seperation, then all thats gonna stop it is a few years.

 

I guess I wonder this:

 

Is this 95% in favor of a split for athletic reasons only? Or is there a bigger reason they want a split?

Most of the people I talk to favor the spilit for athletic reasons. I say that because I have never heard anything else mentioned.

Most of the people I talk to favor the spilit for athletic reasons. I say that because I have never heard anything else mentioned.

 

 

And, if there were to be a split, how would their schools/children benefit?

Most of the people I talk to favor the spilit for athletic reasons. I say that because I have never heard anything else mentioned.

 

I don't doubt your 95% figure for your area. In NKY I would estimate the percentage to be at least 90% NOT favoring a split. (Only 1 NKY school voted for the proposal I believe). Given that NKY has a mix of private and public schools why do you think it is different in this area?

I have no idea the difference between the two areas. I do know that the majority of the schools voted overwhelming to split so the majority wants the split, that has already been voted on. I know while at the girls state tournament in the area that the coaches frequent during the games and between games, the percentage mirrored what my area percentage is, that being almost all other coaches I talked to was in favor of the split. Granted I never talked to any private school coaches, but I did however talk to ALOT of coaches and head coaches at that, so the minority seems to be the privates in all cases.

 

But as I have always said, I am on the fence personally in this one, but if I were a private school,, I would say fine. Lets split, because like when you are kids, did any of you ever play with a neighbor or classmate that did not want to play with you? I sure did not.

I have no idea the difference between the two areas. I do know that the majority of the schools voted overwhelming to split so the majority wants the split, that has already been voted on. I know while at the girls state tournament in the area that the coaches frequent during the games and between games, the percentage mirrored what my area percentage is, that being almost all other coaches I talked to was in favor of the split. Granted I never talked to any private school coaches, but I did however talk to ALOT of coaches and head coaches at that, so the minority seems to be the privates in all cases.

 

But as I have always said, I am on the fence personally in this one, but if I were a private school,, I would say fine. Lets split, because like when you are kids, did any of you ever play with a neighbor or classmate that did not want to play with you? I sure did not.

It's easy to say that when it's not your bull being gored.

 

And it's not the kids that want the split. I haven't heard one public school SA say that they favor the split. It the so called adults that are mucking this up.

I don't doubt your 95% figure for your area. In NKY I would estimate the percentage to be at least 90% NOT favoring a split. (Only 1 NKY school voted for the proposal I believe). Given that NKY has a mix of private and public schools why do you think it is different in this area?

We must run with different crowds cause I have never talked to a public school coach ON THE GIRLS SIDE(and I haven't talked to all of them) that was not in favor of a split. But the girls coaches don't make that call for the schools.

 

At my school, we voted against the split. Ask the people of the county and they would be FOR a split.

It's easy to say that when it's not your bull being gored.

 

And it's not the kids that want the split. I haven't heard one public school SA say that they favor the split. It the so called adults that are mucking this up.

Come to my school and I can introduce you to several.