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Conference questions continue

School Board tells parents it's an issue for the schools, not the board.

INVERNESS - After hearing from concerned parents, the School Board suggested Tuesday that those parents take their concerns about Citrus schools pulling out of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference back to the schools.

The board said parents should start with the enhancement committee, a group at each school that under Florida law makes recommendations to principals. At least 51 percent of the committee must be parents, members of the business community and other people not affiliated with the school.

Also in the works is a plan to replace the lost conference awards. Citrus county athletic directors and principals met Tuesday to discuss other ways to establish awards for athletic and other competitions, according to Citrus principal Mike Mullen.

"We're hoping to have a plan ready by this Friday if all three schools agree," Mullen said.

Mullen said the county hopes to create an all-county award patch that will be given to top students who compete in any activity, including all sports, band, drama, academic teams , ROTC and choir.

"I don't know if we are going to call it a conference, but we are going to have an association," he said "We have a bigger vision than just athletic. Our vision is to give awards to all top county performers.

"A lot of clubs compete, as do academic teams that should get recognition that don't. There is so much more competition out there that doesn't get 5,000 people in the stands."

While the Citrus county athletic directors and principals met, two Lecanto parents, Nanette Lewis and Brett Roth voiced their concerns.

Roth said he would personally write a check if that's what the schools needed to stay in the conference.

"These are good kids," he said. "They are going to be the base of our adults in another 15 years. Why show them that something they want can be jerked out that easily? Not behind closed doors, without any type of discussion.

"If it was done at the beginning of the school year, that's fine. If it was determined at the end of the school year, that's fine. I don't understand the logic behind it."

Lewis questioned what kind of example the schools are giving, when they exited the conference later than the conference's May deadline. Both want the Citrus schools to rejoin the GCAC.

Not everyone was bothered by the decision. Mark Hannell of Hernando, who does not have any children in Citrus schools, said he was happy with the decision.

"I applaud these individuals who exhibit leadership, courage and initiative," Hannell said. "These are the type of role models parents want for their children.

"As guardians of the public trust, its is reasssuring to see that school finances are an important issue. The board needs to encourage them as well for their efforts in holding the line on expenses, and to look for more ways to balance the budget."

School Board member Sam Himmel said she is concerned with the timing and how the schools made the announcement. But she said the decision belongs in the hands of the schools.

"We have to put that kind of trust in the athletic director and principals in this decision," she said. "But I'm sure they knew there would be concerns. They should have found a better way to communicate to parents and students."

Though the decision in a Sept. 17 meeting was a surprise to many people, Mullen said pulling out of

the conference has been informally discussed as long as three years ago.

"There was not an evil plot to wait until August or September," Mullen said. "Things came up and trying to get the three of our schools together is not always easy."

The notification letter to the conference cited as reasons for leaving money (spending approximately $2,000 annually, per school, for the conference); the potential voting block of four Hernando County schools; and the original reason for joining, to alleviate scheduling problems, is no longer an issue.

When asked why this wasn't decided during the summer or by the GCAC annual meeting in May, he wasn't sure.

"I don't have an answer for that, why it didn't come up over the summer," Mullen said. "I assure you we intended no malice towards Hernando county schools, we'd still like to compete with them. This wasn't intended to be a controversial agenda."

"Am I more concerned about what's best for Citrus high school than other schools?" Mullen said. "Yes I am, that's my role here. We don't want to offend anybody, but we want to do what's best for Citrus High School."