Football Issue Brings Crowd to Board Meeting
The likelihood that the Bearkats will be playing six-man football for at least the next two years brought approximately 15 parents to the GCISD School Board meeting Oct. 13 to question that change. The administrative decision to put the reclassification into effect will not officially be made until after Oct. 31, but the board has indicated its desire for change to Superintendent Steve Long, after surveys of both students and the community showed strong support for the idea. The student survey was 66 percent for six-man, 34 percent against; and the community survey was 81 percent for six-man, 19 percent against. Long said 317 surveys were mailed to the community, using voter registration and tax lists for names, and 151 were returned.
The Texas University Interscholastic League, which governs all extracurricular activities, realigns school districts every two years, and if a school’s enrollment falls at or below a certain cutoff figure, the district can choose to play six-man football. According to High School Principal John Petree, placement for all other sports, and for all UIL academic activities, is determined solely by enrollment, and the school has no choice. It is possible for a school to be in different districts for various activities.
Currently, GCHS is in Class 1-A, playing eleven-man football. If enrollment is 99.9 or below, a school is in Class 1-A, but may opt to play six-man. The local high school enrollment for 2003 is 90.
Lack of Information, Community Input Criticized
Warren Multer acted as spokesman for the group in opposition to the change. Looking at pros and cons for the two choices, Multer cited as reasons for 11-man the number of boys (38 to 42) expected to participate in football in the next two years, the experience the players have now, the close proximity of 11-man schools, and a greater possibility of playing college ball with11-man experience. As a reason against 11-man, he said we often have to play schools larger than we are.
Multer said the only reason he’s heard for 6-man is being able to play schools our size or smaller. His reasons against 6-man were the expense of renovating facilities; increased travel expenses if we have multiple teams, and parents being pulled between them; the possibility that few competitors will have multiple teams; a possible loss of enrollment, and distant travel to 6-man schools.
Multer said it isn’t good to tell kids they can’t compete well against larger schools. He said every classification has some big schools which don’t compete well and some smaller ones that do very well. He said he would like a chance for the group of kids who have done so well in junior high and junior varsity the last couple of years to stay together and continue to compete in eleven-man.
Multer: Decision Process Not Fair
In addition, Multer said the decision process in the matter was not handled fairly. He said speculation of change started when the board hired a six-man coach (Ken Hoskins), in the summer, and the area media spread the idea that Garden City was preparing to play six-man. He said he was told no decision would be made until a public meeting was held and community input was gathered. But, he said no public meeting was held, and no information was given the public except what was in the survey, which he said was timed too late for much opposition to be organized before the October board meeting. The deadline for exercising the school’s option is Nov. 4.
Multer said the survey went to many people, including students, who didn’t understand the facts about what they were voting on. He said the matter of which football to play should be a matter for the players and their parents to decide.
Board President Jimmy Eggemeyer said it was not the school board’s place to call a public meeting, and asked Multer why he didn’t call one. Eggemeyer said the board was very lucky to be able to hire Hoskins, especially after Wade Wesley left suddenly, and said Hoskins can coach either six or eleven-man football. Multer said he has nothing against Hoskins.
Several other people voiced opposition to the change, with most complaining of a lack of information. Those included Kenny and Kathleen Schniers, Kim and Larry Halfmann, and Jesse Flores.
Board Stays With Plan to Move to Six-man
In response to the group’s concerns, the school board indicated that it understood the parents’ concerns, but was unwilling to do another survey, or to change its intent to move to six-man football. Carl Hoelscher said he wishes more information had been made available, but that the survey results were not even close, and another survey would only further agitate the problem. Tibby Niehues said the results of another survey would be much the same as the first. Mike Hillger said kids go through both winning and losing, and they will have plenty of competition in six-man ball. He said the survey, showing 81 percent for the change “is heavy.” Doug Schaefer said even with the shortage of information, “I want what’s best for our kids, and in my opinion, that’s six-man.” Jimmy Eggemeyer said, “It’s a tough decision. I wish everyone could be here to discuss it.”