Blogwork

West Shore not only district considering pay-to-play

A Birdsboro, Pa., school district in Berks County is strongly considering a policy that I suspect would draw pitchforks and torches in parts of York County if introduced locally.
According to the Pottstown Mercury, Daniel Boone School Board is considering this:

“A committee formed to examine the activity fee issue recommended on June 14 to charge $60 for athletics, band and winter guard in the high school and middle school and $10 for extracurricular clubs.”

Often, this is called “pay-to-play,” although in this case, it’s not just sports. West Shore School Board is doing some initial research* on the same topic, but isn’t this far along. (* The article is in our archives)

The reason it’s brought up at all is that some districts don’t feel they can continue to offer a litany of extracurriculars for, essentially, free, considering all the costs that go into it - coaches/advisers, equipment, travel, et. al. Makes sense in theory: You want to participate in something outside the classroom, you pay for it.

But it comes with a lot of issues:

• Charging may go against the principle of a free public education.
• Are extracurriculars, from band to football, part of the learning experience? Or just fun extras?
• Beyond that, would charging prohibit poorer students from participating? If the district supplements it for those students, won’t that negate some of the cost savings wanted in the first place?
• And would parents demand playing time for their less-than-athletic child, for example, if the coach benched them? “I’m not paying $60 for my kid to sit,” etc.
• What about a high school with pay-to-play competing against “free” high schools? That just seems like there would be some kind of inequities.
• And one other point, mentioned in the article: “Superintendent Gary L. Otto said the revenue projection from adopting an activity fee policy is $60,000.” … That’s not that much money in a $50 million budget. But on the other hand, it’s $60,000 that could be used to keep a teacher, for example.

What do you think? Should York County districts consider it as a money-raising venture? Or leave it the way it is?

Central students fail to pull off flu hoax

It was bound to happen. Some Central York High School students were just the first to attempt it.

On Tuesday, school officials revealed what turned out to be a failed ploy by some unnamed high school students (you know who you are… feel free to call me) to use H1N1 paranoia to get the school closed.

You see, federal health officials have been recommending closing a school if attendance plummets because of possible swine flu-related illnesses. York City School District practically closed up shop last year, a few days early, because of swine flu concerns.

No one really tests for H1N1 anymore — if you feel like you have the flu, they just assume you have swine flu, as the symptoms and treatment are the same.

So what better way to get a welcomed extended break, a few Central students must have figured, than by trying to get a bunch of students to miss school because of the flu. If enough people were absent, presto — you have a closed school.

Except, the problem about high school students, as noted in way too many movies, is that they aren’t very good at keeping secrets. The plan leaked on Facebook (you do know your parents are watching all those status updates, right, kids?).

Yes, there were many, many students and, it appears, faculty legitimately out with flu-like illnesses, according to school officials. And it’s too bad for them, because on top of the flu, the actions of a few are going to reflect on many who really are ill right now.
The hoax looks like it backfired, because now administrators can’t trust the massive attendance drop — about one in five students was absent on Tuesday at the high school — either for the flu or for “the flu.”

If students had kept the plan secret and/or relied on the power of unwashed hands to increase illness, they probably would have gotten their break.

The best-laid plans aren’t contagious, it seems. Judging by comments on the news so far, Central parents and students aren’t enamored with their school making front page news for something like this. So now, on top of an ill student body, there will be finger-pointing going around.
To read all about what happened at Central, check out the story, then read about how most schools in the county are participating in a H1N1 vaccination clinic later this month to get young kids inoculated.

West Shore is the only district not participating in the in-school vaccinations offered through the York-Adams Metropolitan Medical Response System; they are offering their own vaccination clinic, instead. Here’s their official reason, according to Tom Burnheimer, Director of Pupil Services:

“West Shore has spoken with a representative from this organization. Based on history, our nursing staff felt that administering vaccines to elementary students would best be done with parents present, which are planning to do via an after-school “clinic” model.  YAMMRS (York-Adams Metropolitan Medical Response System, organizing the vaccinations) isn’t able to do this as they are relying on volunteers.”