Recent Decisions Made by Queensbury’s Board of Education
B.O.E. Terminates Winter "High Risk" Sports
By Blake Powers, reporter
B.O.E. Terminates Winter "High Risk" Sports
By Blake Powers, reporter
On January 30, 2021 Governor Cuomo announced that participants of “high risk” sports may resume play as long as recreation is limited to minimum contact within training, tournaments, or other types of play. However, athletes were only able to play if they were granted permission by local authorities such as a Board of Education, or an organization that runs an athletic program. This statement went into effect on February 1, 2021 and gave many athletes a hope and desire to start a late winter season with their teams.
In favor of the decision, both the New York Department of Health (NYSDOH), and the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) approved the plan proposed by Governor Coumo. This now granted access to counties and individual Boards of Education at schools to further evaluate the idea of allowing these winter athletes to play.
Warren County stated that in order for high schools to start allowing “high risk” sports the COVID-19 “Average percent positivity in the region and/or county, as calculated by NYSDOH, must be at or below 4.0%” so in a follow up to that proposal Queensbury’s Board of Education in a “budget workshop” said that they would consider discussing the start of these ‘high risk’ winter sports if they met the guidelines of Warren County before the next board meeting.
With the percentage falling rapidly, on February 4th, Queensbury’s Athletic Department sparked much anticipation in “high risk” athletic groups such as basketball, hockey, and cheerleading as they sent an email explaining to prepare to resume their sports and to sign up on Family ID, a website designed to replace the blue card that allows athletes to be cleared for play if the opportunity were to arise. This increase in hope lead to an audience of over 100 viewers at the second Queensbury Board of Education Zoom meeting on February 8th.
Introducing the resolution, Mr. Cabana, seconded by Dr. Shea, made clear that the Governor, NYSDOH, and NYSPHSAA all granted the permission to resume high school ‘high risk’ sports, putting the responsibility on local officials to further address the matter. Mr. Cabana addressed, with the permission of the county and the board, that highschool sports could resume if they met the safety requirements of both the school and the county. Even though Mr. Cabana’s resolution was followed by a strict and clear set of guidelines that would allow basketball, hockey, and cheerleading players to ramp up a late season, board members voted down the resolution in a five to four vote which further postponed these winter seasons.
Shocked and outraged, many parents made heated comments and arguments on Facebook that contradicted the vote of the board. In the QUEENSBURY Hockey Right to Play group chat some parents argued that the board members were just trying to “drag it on” (in reference to the meeting being unproductive), or asked, “why don’t they do their jobs?” Some parents went beyond typing furiously on their phones and proposed to establish a strike. Jim Fitzergerald, a parent of a senior athlete, particularly gave notice in the issue and said that he would get press to accommodate the strikes.
Quickly many high school athletes began spreading the message of a student strike that would occur Tuesday, February 9th (the following day of the board meeting). On Snapchat, and other various social media platforms, the students began posting links to sign a petition. Currently it has 1,979 supporters on change.org. Word spread fast about the strike.
On the following day at 11:00 AM, athletes made an organized protest that originated in a walk from the parking lot of Our Lady of the Annunciation to the high school front entrance. At first there were only about ten athletes standing outside shivering in the cold. However, as other athletic groups joined, the number quickly blossomed to well over fifty, as students began walking out of their classes to join in the ever growing voice. Hockey sticks had signs strapped on by tape that said, “LET US PLAY!”, as well as “FOLLOW THE SCIENCE.” Quickly superintendent Gannon, Principal Switzer, and the local police force went out to supervise the protest. After 45 minutes of yelling chants such as “Let US PLAY”, and “What do we want? SPORTS! When do we want them? NOW!” Principal Switzer announced over the microphone a solution. He asked if ten students could advocate for these ‘high risk’ sports in a meeting to retain a student opinion. The crowd was satisfied with the proposal, so the group quickly dispersed and the rest of the students who weren’t attending the meeting resumed their classes for the remainder of the day (click here to watch Spectrum news video on protest).
Another strike was being planned by the parents again on Facebook for the upcoming Friday on February 12th. However, this idea was quickly hushed by the Board, who ordered an emergency meeting on Monday, February 15th. Athletic Director Mr. Keys told coaches to tell players to write letters for the board about personal experiences they had in their careers as high school athletes. This was supposed to spark an emotional appeal in board members.
On the day of the meeting, the board decided to change the Zoom call from a meeting to a workshop. This changed the permissions of the call from community public speech to no community public speech, only board members were allowed to talk. Although sentimental letters distributed by Mr. Keys were acknowledged by some board members, the board would not do a revote and stuck to the decision of the previous meeting. No ‘high risk’ winter sports would be allowed to play.
In favor of the decision, both the New York Department of Health (NYSDOH), and the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) approved the plan proposed by Governor Coumo. This now granted access to counties and individual Boards of Education at schools to further evaluate the idea of allowing these winter athletes to play.
Warren County stated that in order for high schools to start allowing “high risk” sports the COVID-19 “Average percent positivity in the region and/or county, as calculated by NYSDOH, must be at or below 4.0%” so in a follow up to that proposal Queensbury’s Board of Education in a “budget workshop” said that they would consider discussing the start of these ‘high risk’ winter sports if they met the guidelines of Warren County before the next board meeting.
With the percentage falling rapidly, on February 4th, Queensbury’s Athletic Department sparked much anticipation in “high risk” athletic groups such as basketball, hockey, and cheerleading as they sent an email explaining to prepare to resume their sports and to sign up on Family ID, a website designed to replace the blue card that allows athletes to be cleared for play if the opportunity were to arise. This increase in hope lead to an audience of over 100 viewers at the second Queensbury Board of Education Zoom meeting on February 8th.
Introducing the resolution, Mr. Cabana, seconded by Dr. Shea, made clear that the Governor, NYSDOH, and NYSPHSAA all granted the permission to resume high school ‘high risk’ sports, putting the responsibility on local officials to further address the matter. Mr. Cabana addressed, with the permission of the county and the board, that highschool sports could resume if they met the safety requirements of both the school and the county. Even though Mr. Cabana’s resolution was followed by a strict and clear set of guidelines that would allow basketball, hockey, and cheerleading players to ramp up a late season, board members voted down the resolution in a five to four vote which further postponed these winter seasons.
Shocked and outraged, many parents made heated comments and arguments on Facebook that contradicted the vote of the board. In the QUEENSBURY Hockey Right to Play group chat some parents argued that the board members were just trying to “drag it on” (in reference to the meeting being unproductive), or asked, “why don’t they do their jobs?” Some parents went beyond typing furiously on their phones and proposed to establish a strike. Jim Fitzergerald, a parent of a senior athlete, particularly gave notice in the issue and said that he would get press to accommodate the strikes.
Quickly many high school athletes began spreading the message of a student strike that would occur Tuesday, February 9th (the following day of the board meeting). On Snapchat, and other various social media platforms, the students began posting links to sign a petition. Currently it has 1,979 supporters on change.org. Word spread fast about the strike.
On the following day at 11:00 AM, athletes made an organized protest that originated in a walk from the parking lot of Our Lady of the Annunciation to the high school front entrance. At first there were only about ten athletes standing outside shivering in the cold. However, as other athletic groups joined, the number quickly blossomed to well over fifty, as students began walking out of their classes to join in the ever growing voice. Hockey sticks had signs strapped on by tape that said, “LET US PLAY!”, as well as “FOLLOW THE SCIENCE.” Quickly superintendent Gannon, Principal Switzer, and the local police force went out to supervise the protest. After 45 minutes of yelling chants such as “Let US PLAY”, and “What do we want? SPORTS! When do we want them? NOW!” Principal Switzer announced over the microphone a solution. He asked if ten students could advocate for these ‘high risk’ sports in a meeting to retain a student opinion. The crowd was satisfied with the proposal, so the group quickly dispersed and the rest of the students who weren’t attending the meeting resumed their classes for the remainder of the day (click here to watch Spectrum news video on protest).
Another strike was being planned by the parents again on Facebook for the upcoming Friday on February 12th. However, this idea was quickly hushed by the Board, who ordered an emergency meeting on Monday, February 15th. Athletic Director Mr. Keys told coaches to tell players to write letters for the board about personal experiences they had in their careers as high school athletes. This was supposed to spark an emotional appeal in board members.
On the day of the meeting, the board decided to change the Zoom call from a meeting to a workshop. This changed the permissions of the call from community public speech to no community public speech, only board members were allowed to talk. Although sentimental letters distributed by Mr. Keys were acknowledged by some board members, the board would not do a revote and stuck to the decision of the previous meeting. No ‘high risk’ winter sports would be allowed to play.