AKRON – Tippecanoe Valley School Board members don’t always agree on everything. Monday night, they disagreed on revised transportation salaries and benefits, and board member Mark Wise questioned Valley’s rules on athletic eligibility. The revised transportation salaries and benefits were among consent agenda items to be approved. However, Board President Bryan Murphy took the matter off the list so it could be tabled. “I don’t like having three class of drivers; an ‘A’ class, a ‘B’ class and a ‘C’ class,” Murphy said. “I think it will cause problems and cause problems getting bus drivers.” Tom Kraft, board member, made the motion to table the matter. After Murphy said they could vote on it in May, board member Dave O’Brien provided the second. Wise said the board had discussed it since November. The motion to table it was approved with Wise and Rod Eaton voting against it. As the board was later hearing presentations on revised handbooks, including the athletic handbook, Wise asked if Tippecanoe Valley should have higher standards for athletic eligibility. He said a coach told him he had a female player with four D’s and one F, a week after having all F’s. Under Indiana High School Athletic Association rules, that athlete is eligible to play. “I don’t feel that’s passing,” Wise told Tippecanoe Valley High School Assistant Principal Jon Hutton. He said students are in school for an education. Sports is just extra. Hutton retorted that not every kid’s potential is the same. It’s hard to blanket every student and say they must all get all A’s. “I think we need to hold them to a higher standard, but that’s my opinion,” Wise answered. O’Brien said the middle school doesn’t fall under IHSAA rules like the high school. If Valley were to hold students to higher standards, he said, attorneys probably would get involved. “Can’t we hold them to higher standards than the state?” Wise asked. Kirk Doehrmann, TVHS principal, said if a student fails two or more classes, they are pulled out of their sport. In school, Eaton said, he did just good enough to get it done. “If the bar was raised, they’d still get their chins above it,” he said. Hutton asked the board what they wanted him to do because he wasn’t sure what they were asking of him. “Shouldn’t we hold our kids to a higher standard? I’m saying yes,” Wise stated. “So all C’s?” Hutton asked. Wise said he wasn’t saying that. He just wasn’t happy with what they have now and wants the administrators to look at changes. After Wise suggested maybe eligibility be based on nine-weeks grades, he was told that can be a timing factor. Tippecanoe Valley Middle School Assistant Principal Scott Backus said three A’s and two F’s could make a student’s nine-weeks grade low and keep them from playing sports. Hutton said they could investigate what other schools are doing. “Check the legal aspect of it with the ISBA (Indiana School Board Association),” O’Brien suggested. During the meeting, Hutton said sports are what keep some kids in school. It is because of being on an athletic team that some students are encouraged and motivated to try harder. He also stated that he would hate to see Valley punish those students. “I don’t see it as punishing those kids. I see it as helping those kids. Maybe sports isn’t in it for them right now,” Wise retorted. Chrissy Mills, Akron Elementary principal, said students’ home lives is a factor. “We can bend over backwards at school to help them, but when they go home, they don’t get the same help as others,” Mills said. She said parents may not help them with their homework, students may have to work or they may go hungry. Hutton and Backus will investigate what other schools are doing regarding athletic eligibility and the legal aspects of the issue.
