My Turn: All students can participate in all sports
The recent Juneau Empire article on the recommendations for sports and activities at both Juneau high schools next year left out an important fact: All Juneau students would be able to participate in all Alaska School Activities Association sanctioned teams and events during the next school year - regardless of where they attend school.
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The recommendation put forward by the Secondary Education Planning Team for transitioning to two high schools next year calls for a one-year ramp-up to full interscholastic athletics and activities during the 2008-2009 school year. During that year, the plan calls for supporting the development of an extensive intramural program at Thunder Mountain High School to build teams and school involvement in preparation for full ASAA interscholastic competition the following year. The plan also allows for all students to be able to participate in all Juneau-Douglas High School sports and activities, as well as a variety of activities and intramural sports to be developed at Thunder Mountain next year.
The team spent long hours listening to public comment, poring over ASAA rules, looking at Juneau School District and nonprofit group fundraising in support of school sports and activities, and a wide variety of options for transitioning to full ASAA membership at Thunder Mountain next year. The decision was a difficult one because there are good reasons on both sides of the question of whether to join ASAA or not in the school's first year.
The district and the city have formed the Task Force Exploring Activities Money to look at long-term solutions to sports and activities funding. Those recommendations will not be ready until late January. Thus, the Secondary Education Planning Team based its recommendations on the Next Generation plan's overarching belief that students need more, not less, access to sports and activities to stay engaged in school. District funding realities would have allowed for only a small number of ASAA sports and activities at Thunder Mountain next year. Without a long-term solution, ASAA membership in the school's first year would have limited choices. The planning team firmly believes that making sure students and families could focus their choice of schools and school programs on the academic options the plan provides during the first year of a transition to two schools is the most prudent and feasible recommendation it could make to the School Board. The administration remains committed to a one-year ramp-up to full ASAA membership for Thunder Mountain and to providing the maximum possible participation in sports and activities in Juneau's schools.
• Peggy Cowan is the superintendent of the Juneau School District.