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Schools

Board of Education Considers Athletic Eligibility Changes

At their Monday night board meeting, Dearborn trustees discussed whether changes would make athletic eligibility easier to achieve, or if students would work the system for sport's sake, not grades.

For the students that play sports at Dearborn’s high schools, a bad semester can equal a bad–or non-existent–semester on the field.

That’s why Dearborn Schools Director of Business Services Bob Cipriano suggested the school board consider overhauling the current eligibility policy to give students who are passing all of their classes, but don’t carry a high grade point average, a chance to play sports. Cipriano’s plan would also allow students to qualify for sports every six weeks.

“Right now, if a student doesn’t have a 2.0 (GPA), they will have to sit out the semester,” he said. “We want students to take part in all extra-curricular activities, and we don’t want to penalize an average student.”

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Under the district’s current guidelines, students must maintain a 2.0 during the previous semester to participate in sports–meaning that if a student earns five C’s, and one C-, he or she would disallowed to compete.

Cipriano’s plan would shift that grade point requirement to 1.75, but would require that students have no failing grades in any class. However, the new plan would call for eligibility to be checked every six weeks–incentivizing the student to bring their grades up to rejoin their teams.

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“We think this is better for average students,” said Cipriano.

For the most part, the board agreed that changes to the schools’ athletic requirements as they relate to academics should be reconsidered, but one board member was concerned it set up a complex system that didn’t stress the importance of good grades, and would allow students to game the system.

“My concern is that these students are very smart, and they could do the math on exactly what it takes to meet the requirements instead of the math in their book,” said School Board Trustee Aimee Blackburn.

“Are we creating a new monster, or are we solving the problem?” Blackburn asked.

Cipriano said the fact that students would be able to essentially re-qualify for their teams after six weeks hitting the books would create a sense of urgency regarding grades.

Blackburn also asked if students who are removed from sports teams can practice with their teams even when they can’t compete to maintain an environment where students can retain their drive to bring up their grades. Cipriano responded that they can.

The board did not vote on the potential new requirements, but are allowing the six-week provision to start immediately. Superintendent Brian Whiston said the coaches at the district’s high school can implement this part of the new policy because spring sports will begin shortly.

The board, however, needed time to consider the grade point suggestions, and is expected to vote on the matter at its next meeting.

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