Football players and the coach from Westport High, a Kansas City school recently shuttered under the "right-sizing" euphemism plan, spoke out yesterday in front of full house at the district's school board meeting. Because the board failed to make arrangements for them to play at their new school Southwest Early College -- or at any other school -- the league champs won't be able to play football next year.
After last night's meeting, it looks like they're still screwed.
Flanked by four of his players, coach Dan Stanley gave a passionate appeal to the board, saying that football is a ticket to a better life for many of his players. The crowd erupted in applause. Some of the members of the board were equally as passionate. One member, Duane Kelly, offered to personally help the kids of Westport. "Coach and I will buy the jerseys," he said. "Let's quit playing games and let them play the game."
Most members of the board felt bad about it, and member Crispin Rea even apologized to the coach and players for the board's mistake. But nobody knew what to do about it.
Someone brought up that if Southwest were a magnet school, the players could suit up for another school in the area. "I thought Southwest was a magnet school," one of the board members wondered aloud. Though every member's seat was armed with a laptop, no one could seem to figure out what kind of school Southwest was. Even superintendent John Covington, who because of his right-sizing has half as many schools to memorize facts about, wasn't sure whether Southwest was technically a magnet school.
So a motion was made to declare Southwest a temporary magnet school for one year, even though no one was sure whether or not they could legally do that, or if such a designation would really change anything. The nays were tallied and the motion died as quickly as it was introduced.
In a hopeless attempt to tie a neat bow around the issue, one official said that "destiny" will determine whether or not the kids will be able to play football. A member of the legal team then whispered something to superintendent Covington, who announced, with apparent seriousness: "I've just been informed by legal that it's not destiny; it's the district."
But at this point, the district seems even less likely than destiny to help the athletes of Westport High.
Earlier: Coach Dan Stanley was heartbroken to tell his players they couldn't play football.
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And Benson's comment about his changrin for the district not making AYP? Well these students had to make the grade in order to play! What's their drive to make good grades now? Slap them in the face? That will make them want to make good grades? Wake up Covington and Board! A football team brings in school spirit and school pride and can bring up scores by making kids proud to come to school. Good luck with your tactic....
Robby- bubby boy,
These are black athletes. Education means nothing to them. Now go fuck yourself.
Some KC Business could get a lot of publicity by sponsoring an amateur club football team wholly consisting of Westport High football players.
They could play the other ISL teams in non-league play.
Hell, what could the annual budget for a football team in the ISL be, not including coaching staff? 25k? 50k?
It reads like a hollywood movie script too. Cerner's Westport Tigers? Cirilla's Westport Tigers? I'm sure they aren't picky.
gosh, no where will gangs be able to congregate without friday night football? wait a minute, they now go to the plaza.
KCMO has to be one the most pathetically run cities in the nation. on top of it, the kcmo school board couldn't even figure out the new school just might want a football team, MORONS!
Send 'em down to Wichita -- West High School needs players, and they have plenty of empty desks (and uniforms).
It's inexcuseable that people in alleged authority can't take a few minutes and make this right for those students.
@Robert
Have you even SEEN the KCMSD budget? The school district spends more per pupil than nearly every other district in Missouri. It spends more than every district in the metropolitan area.
There's plenty of money there, but it's sucked away by things such as administrative costs and other waste.
While I feel sympathy for the student athletes I think some perspective is in order. The district doesn't have the budget or talent to teach well let alone teach and play sports. The first priority should be academic success of the students. Full stop. If that means no games for a year or two, sorry. There are far more opportunities to get kids to college using a good transcript than there is for a good layup or passing arm.
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