The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Board to consider changes for athletic eligibility
* Marchini: current policy allows student with 5 Fs and 2 Ds to play
* She suggests 'tutoring rather than training' in seventh period
* Metz proposes possible basement of 2.0 GPA

By The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
CUMBERLAND, Jan. 11 -- A relatively simple request by a top administrator in the Allegany County public school system evolved on Tuesday into a promise to re-evaluate minimum athletic eligibility standards for students.

Any changes could be in place by the start of the next school year.

Tim Scaletta, supervisor of athletics, approached the five member Allegany County Board of Education during a monthly public work session to shore up what could be seen as a potential loophole in current policy.

But when questioned by newly elected board member Laura Marchini, Scaletta acknowledged a student-athlete sporting grades of 5 Ds and 2 Fs would still be eligible to participate in athletics.

Scaletta said the county has never had a formal policy on such issues but rather has relied on practice. His approaching the board was to formalize what already is being done across the school district.

"Our policy has said that seniors needed to be 'making progress toward graduation,'" Scaletta said. "So that left us open to interpretation."

The new wording would be modified to "must be passing those courses required for graduation," Scaletta said, adding there is currently no grade point average stipulation.

Marchini, though, took issue with the general concept.

"Numerically, that is less than a 1.0 (grade point average)," she said. "I feel strongly that we have an obligation to these kids - that they are student-athletes, with the emphasis on 'student.' If these kids are pulling 5 Ds and 2 Fs, theoretically, that perhaps that should be addressed and they should get the attention, either from teachers (or) their coach should be paying attention to what they're doing academically."

Marchini suggested that resources are available - perhaps in the form of National Honor Society students - to get those student-athletes the help they mighit need.

"Maybe the time during school days used for weight training ... could be used for tutoring rather than for training," she said.

Scaletta didn't disagree with Marchini but said the issue is not a big one in Allegany County Public Schools.

"We don't drop kids," he said. "most of our kids who participate in athletics make pretty good grades."

David Cox, schools superintendent, said a work group of stakeholders, including coaches and teachers, should be formed as soon as this spring if the intent is to get something established and implemented by the start of the 2011-12 school year.

Board member Jeff Metz said board members should consider a "basement" GPA, perhaps of 2.0. He also wondered if policies concerning other extracurricular activities might need revisited for the same reason.

Cox said it would be a good idea to learn how school districts in neighboring jurisdictions handle the issue.

Board President Mike Llewellyn said he's expressed concern in the past about the county's overall grading system. Now might be a good time to begin evaluating that, he said.

"We continue to say it's a big thing to bite off and chew, but eventually we've got to crunch through this," Llewellyn said.