Comments on: ‘Clear eyes, full heart,’ can’t win

By: April Cain

April Cain — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:10:08 +0000

JP, it’s not just one kid. I believe that out of the dozens and dozens of kids (over 100 perhaps?) displaced due to the closing of St. Paul High School, at last count I was told that only 12 planned on making the trek across two mountains for the half hour trip to the new consolidated school. Most of course will stay in their own community and cross the Clinch River for the 2 minute ride to Castlewood.

I am not sure what powers have been given to the VHSL. Their website says it’s a nonprofit entity. But they certainly have quasi-governmental powers when it comes to the education of our children. (Physical education as well as academic education through extracurriculars like forensics.)

In general, where kids are concerned the law tries to look at “the best interests of the child” when decisions are made by governmental entities. Whatever the reasons for this decision, this was not the standard applied. It will be interesting to see if this “nonprofit” spends tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers to fight this litigation, or whether they might take a step back and change their “handbook” which is referred to in the court order. What they are doing may or may not be constitutional, but it’s certainly not right or fair.

When kids attend the school nearest them after their own school is closed, the rule should be changed to allow them to be eligible to participate fully in their new community.

By: JP Gilson

JP Gilson — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:48:43 +0000

As a former athlete and someone who went to law school in that area, I agree with the above comments – Let the kid play.

By: April Cain

April Cain — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:52:10 +0000

I could not agree more with the person commenting above. The St. Paul, Virginia community is grieving over the loss of its High School, having fought to keep it open for years. Those pleas fell on deaf ears, and as they try to pick up and recover they are told that they must choose to send their children to another community 13 miles away, over two mountains, in order for them to participate meaningfully in VHSL controlled activities. (This isn’t just about sports, it includes things like forensics and cheerleading). The St. Paul/Castlewood area has been one community for as long as anyone can remember, and it would make no sense for the children to be sent far away when Castlewood High School is a couple of miles up the road. When the battle over closing the school was being fought, the close proximity of Castlewood High came up many times. This isn’t just about money, it’s also about trying to bolster the sports teams at the new high school in Wise County in my opinion. How adults could behave so selfishly to the disadvantage of the children involved is beyond imagination.

By: Kevin Martingayle

Kevin Martingayle — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:19:14 +0000

This is a travesty.
This is what happens when responsibility for an aspect of public education is handed over to a private corporation that promises “due process” and “equal protection”…the kids and parents get whatever the corporate folks decide is “fair”, notwithstanding the students’ constitutional right to enjoy all public school opportunities, and despite the obvious unfairness of this particular situation.
The General Assembly needs to take a hard look at the role of the VHSL and the purpose of allowing children the chance to compete.