Groups push for sports at Marysville Getchell High
Published 12:01 am Wednesday, February 9, 2011
MARYSVILLE — Two groups that want sports programs for the new Marysville Getchell High School to start this fall plan to meet with school officials tonight.
The Marysville School Board delayed varsity sports at the school until 2012-13. The school opened in September.
Amy Hammer, a mother of two elementary students in the district, said parents in the groups are upset the school district made the delay without giving the community a chance to help the programs continue later this year as originally planned.
“My hope is that we can come together as a community and figure out what’s best for the kids,” she said. “Academics and sports go hand-in-hand.”
The Marysville School Board voted Jan. 10 to postpone the start of varsity sports at the new high school until the 2012-13 school year. The decision came after the district was faced with about a $2 million shortfall resulting from the Legislature’s decision Dec. 11 to take away $250 million in public school funding mid-year.
Waiting to begin varsity and junior varsity athletics at Marysville Getchell will save the Marysville School District $576,000 without having to cut existing programs, according to a report by Superintendent Larry Nyland.
An athletics task force met with district officials for the first time Jan. 20. Members of a group calling themselves Citizens to Save Marysville Getchell Sports, also are expected to attend tonight’s meeting.
No one who spoke during the public comment period at the Marysville School Board meeting on Monday night identified themselves as being a part of either group, according to Jodi Runyon, executive assistant to the superintendent.
“One person did share she attended the athletics task force meeting and was just hoping to come together as a community,” Runyon said.
Don Hatch, a former member of the Marysville School Board, said education should be the district’s first priority and not sports programs.
“Sports is going to get them places and maybe keep them out of some things; education is going to get them a job,” Hatch said. “Unless there’s a Super Bowl player in here within our district that’s going to go to college, play ball and go to the pros, they’re not going to get the money.”
The Marysville School District also plans to host a town meeting to discuss the mid-year budget reductions and to share next steps in the budget process Thursday. That meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the board room.
Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.
School meeting
A meeting about sports programs at Marysville Getchell High School is scheduled for 6 tonight in the board room at the school district administration building, 4220 80th St. NE.
