Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Board maintains "no pass, no play" rule for district

"No Pass, No Play". This is the name of the new policy adopted by the Gurdon School Board.

The policy was adopted during the summer in order to print it in this year's school hand book. The policy states: "All students must have at least a grade of "D" in all subjects at any given time to go on off campus trips. This includes, but not limited to band, choir, athletics, judging teams, etc."

Coach John Pace had been experiencing difficulty keeping his football players with this "D" average. He requested to be on the school board agenda to express his concerns about the new policy during the September meeting.

During the meeting Pace said, "I am not totally against the rule; however, I think we need to look at certain factors of it. Activities are an important factor to our school and we need to put our best foot forward. Some kids can't make the grade, but are good at athletics, band, choir, agri, etc. This is how they express themselves and how they excel even if they aren't academically ahead. A lot of kids have been affected positively by these different activities I have listed.

"I am not against this rule at all. I believe without an education, what do you have. I do, however, feel as if the policy could be more like the one adopted in Texas. It is a six to a nine week policy. This would give the kids more time to improve. The policy we have doesn't allow them much time."

Along with Pace's statements, band director Al Wimberly and choir instructor Sandra Hitt also addressed the board.

Wimberly said, "This policy causes dissension in the band itself. One young man didn't get to march last Friday night. You must understand me when I tell you, my classroom isn't just what I have down by the cafetorium, it is wherever me and my band members are. Friday night on the field, I am having class with my members. I am up in the press box watching them and critiquing them. I video them and we watch the tapes in class the next week to see where our weak points are.

"If one of my members is not on the field on Friday night, to me they are not in my class. It is very important that everyone be there. Everybody relies on everyone else. If someone is gone, then the blend just isn't there.

"Contests are also highly important to us. Especially me, everyone knows a coach is hired and fired by his ability to win and lead his team. It is the same for the band director. If I do not win competitions them I probably won't have a job. I may not be able to compete if I don't have all my kids at my competitions.

"I have assigned tutors to my kids who are having trouble in certain classes and I have done some tutoring at my own house."

Hitt was recognized stating basically the same thoughts as Wimberly.

Hitt said, "My choir is an application course and my classroom is wherever me and my students are."

Gurdon High School Principal Leonard Gills was asked by Runyan if he had a rebuttal to the comments made.

Gills said, "The policy was written in the summer and the board adopted it. The first three days of school were spent going over the handbooks making the faculty and students understood the hand book. No one had a problem then. The way I look at it with kids is if you expect nothing from them, you get nothing. It is really getting tight on students to be able to graduate. If they flunk a class now, they have no time to make it up.

"I am willing to work with everyone the best I can."

Runyan then made the suggestion to form a committee consisting of Smithson, Gills, Cabe Middle School Principal Jeff Alexander and Coach Pace.

At that time Runyan informed the teachers they would have to abide by the original rule for the next four weeks until the next school board meeting.

At Tuesday night's meeting, Runyan asked board members if they had any questions or comments as to what was going on.

New board member, Brad Clark, then asked Runyan if he would give the new members a briefing as to what happened during the September meeting.

Runyan did so, then asked the new members if they had all read the letters submitted by each member of the committee.

Superintendent Bobby Smithson said, "These letters are not a consensus from the committee, but several ideas relative to this policy. Hopefully, this will help us render a decision."

The majority of the letters requested the policy be amended to allow a grace period for the students to make a passing grade. One letter from a teacher included a case study done to show the improvement in grades over the time the student was on academic probation and not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities.

New board member, Cheryl Reed asked, "If we change this policy, would it be a policy change or a procedural change?"

Board member, Billy Tarpley said, "I see it as both."

New board member, Mark Sanford spoke up to say, "The policy is already set. In my opinion the precedence is already there. It is set. It is easy to make changes. However, we need to think about why this policy is already set."

Reed said, "I want students to pass. Students should excel in other things, but students need to pass. It's all black and white. The policy needs to be black and white."

Tarpley said, "When we approved this policy I was under the impression that we were adopting the same thing the AAA had as a policy. I guess I was brain dead that night, I don't know. A part of me sees the problem the coaches, band instructors and others who take their students on special trips are having. However, I am encouraged by the progress I am seeing. I have heard positive comments about the policy from students. Matter of fact I would recommend applying this rule to the home games, etc. also. However, I would like to adopt a grace period for the grades to be brought up by."

After more discussion from the audience and comments from different members of the board, it was decided to keep the policy as it is written in the handbook and require teachers to abide by it until it can be reviewed again during the Spring if necessary.