COLUMBUS — Before he was the Executive Director of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, Doug Ute wore many hats in the education system. In 35 years, he was everything from teacher, athletic administrator, principal, superintendent, coach, assistant coach and before all that, a student athlete.
So, if there is a person who sees both sides of the coin when it comes to Issue 2B – Bylaw 4-3-1 on the list of referendums that are being voted on by OHSAA member schools, it’s Ute. The bylaw looks at issues with enrollment and attendance, non-enrolled participation, which if passed would allow students at an OHSAA member public school that does not sponsor a particular team sport to participate in that sport at another OHSAA member public school.
There are two conditions: the other school must be within 20 miles by the most direct route and the superintendents and both schools must approve the arrangement.
Ute, who spent 20 years as a superintendent, nine at Marion Elgin and 11 at Newark City, is torn on the issue.
“What I love most is seeing kids participate in sports,” Ute said. “I am all for giving them every opportunity to do that, but when I put my superintendent hat on, there is no way in the world that I would support having a child who is educated in another district to come to my district and play on my soccer team and displace one of my kids whose parents pay taxes in my district.”
Currently, it is state law that a child attending a private school that does not offer a sport can play at the public school in which they reside. That is out of the OHSAA’s control as it must follow state laws. But there are no laws about public-to-public participation.
Ute does like that would give those kids an opportunity to participate in sports, but he wonders about the side effects.
“You’re helping one person out, but you are hurting a constituent,” Ute said. “One of your kids is not the goalie anymore because that kid at the other school district is better. I am so torn between it. I value life after 3 p.m. when kids get out of school so much.”
Life after 3 p.m. was a key focus when Ute was a superintendent at Newark City Schools. In 2009, the graduation rate was 70% and just before the COVID-19 pandemic, it climbed to 90% because he put a focus on making sure kids were taken care of after 3 p.m.
“It wasn’t about our teachers getting better at where a comma goes or what 2 + 2 is,” Ute said. “It was because we focused on getting kids shoes, pants, food and a life after 3 p.m. The engagement after 3 p.m. was so important. Making sure they stayed around good people and good programs so that when they got up the next morning, they wanted to go to school.”
Students who are home schooled and want to play sports must do so at the school district they live in, which is state law.
Issue 2B – Bylaw 4-3-1 is on the current referendum ballot that has a voting period between May 1-15 with results expected to be announced in early June.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: OHSAA’s Ute torn on issue public-to-public participation
Reporting by Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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