CONTACT VARSITY SPORTS WON'T BE OFFERED INITIALLY.
No graduation, no senior pranks, no prom. Yet.
The Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to send only ninth- and 10th-graders to Cedar Creek High School when it opens in fall 2010.
The affirmative votes included one from board member Bill Cheatham.
Cheatham, of Mullica Township, had most vocally protested against the plan to start the school with only freshmen and sophomores and phase in a four-level school during the next couple of years. His disagreement hinged on the likelihood that students would not be able to participate in varsity sports.
But precedent statewide and staffing concerns worked against him, he said.
“My goal was out of reach,” he said. “No one else was going to agree, so it was time to move on and go for something positive.”
Initially, Cedar Creek will offer varsity programs in non-contact sports that generate enough student interest. Contact sports will field only junior varsity and freshmen teams during the early years of the school, according to a statement from the district.
Cheatham said he intends to continue to look for a way to introduce varsity-level competition earlier for certain contact sports such as wrestling.
Cedar Creek’s future students from Port Republic, Egg Harbor City and Mullica and Washington townships would normally go to Oakcrest High School in Hamilton Township. Galloway Township residents attend Absegami High School.
High school students from any of those towns will be eligible to participate in engineering and environmental science magnet programs Cedar Creek will host, according to the statement.
If student interest in those programs exceeds resources, the district might initiate an application process, he said.
Officials lobbied voters in 2007 to support a referendum for $27 million of the $81.7 million project intended to ease overcrowding in the 4,000 student district.
The board based its vote Monday night on recommendations members and Superintendent Adam Pfeffer declined to detail, despite previously stating the district would publicly present detailed information on what factors played into the decision.
Pfeffer did say the district did not examine differences in long-term costs for various opening options, but that the approved plan would be the cheapest, at least initially.
The district also considered the upheaval that a four-year start would have caused some seniors and those juniors who would not be able to continue with certain extracurricular activities.
About Cedar Creek
* The building is intended to free up space at Greater Egg Harbor Regional’s other two high schools, Absegami and Oakcrest.
* Open date: September 2010.
* Cost: $81.7 million.
* Initial enrollment: About 400 ninth- and 10th-graders from Egg Harbor City, Mullica Township, Port Republic and Washington Township.
* Volunteer program: The district is seeking willing attendees from the Laureldale section of Hamilton and the South Egg Harbor and Cologne sections of Galloway.
* Full enrollment: Within two years.
* Magnet option: Engineering and environmental
* Science tracks open to all Greater Egg Harbor students.
* Sports: Student interest will dictate offerings. Varsity level for any non-contact sport – track, crew, cross country, swimming, tennis and golf. Contact sports start with junior-varsity and freshmen squads.
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2 comments:
Its uncommon that freshman and sophomore students would play varsity football. It's unreasonable to delay the opening of the school until it can accommodate all four grades based on the reasoning that a few male students might not have the chance to play varsity football or participate in varsity wrestling. Perhaps they can get a waiver and stay at Oakcrest their first two years, until Cedar Creek offers varsity contact sports.
Actually, when these students are much older they may thank the BOE for this decision. I say that as I am one of many who have aches and pains that I can relate back to high school football and wrestling. The best sport by far, in my estimation, is golf. You can enjoy the challenge of a very difficult sport, get a scholarship to college, and participate in this sport for much of your life.
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