A member of the Blue Earth Area (BEA) School Board has been denied a chance to discuss something he feels is important.
Mark Franta wanted to have an item added to the board’s Oct. 9 meeting agenda: Discussion on whether Genesis Classical Academy (GCA) students should be allowed to participate in Blue Earth Area sports and activities.
“The board chair (Sara Hauskins) denied my request three weeks before the meeting,” he says. “I want the board to share their thoughts on the matter.”
Franta’s request could have been on the agenda that needed to be posted no later than Friday before the meeting.
Before the start of the October board meeting, Franta made a motion to add Genesis discussion to the agenda. However, it died for lack of a second.
Board member Ted Armon told the board that the BEA Activities Committee, of which he is a member, was going to address the Genesis issue prior to their next meeting and he would provide an update.
Renee Doyle, headmaster at GCA, says any public and private school can form a cooperative on a sport by sport basis. She says the school is currently offering volleyball and basketball.
“We have not pursued talks with Blue Earth Area because our immediate sport needs were met this year,” says Doyle. “Who knows what the future will hold. We never rule out anything in the future.”
GCA entered into a cooperative partnership with United South Central to allow eight students in grades 7 through 12 to play football this fall.
Several years ago, some BEA School Board members were against co-oping with GCA for athletics because they felt it might take away playing time for some of the district’s students.