School board forum offered relief to important question
It was a question that needed to be asked but wasn’t expected. The position of the school board on this issue is critical to the financial future of the New Prague Area School District and the relief candidates for seats on the board brought is welcomed.
The question to board candidates at the forum held Tuesday, Oct. 15: Should the New Prague School District remain a member in the Minnesota State High School League? The six candidates all answered in the affirmative.
Candidates for the school board noted the wide array of programs and opportunities available to students via Minnesota State High School League programs. From the one-act play festival, robotics, cheerleading, speech, visual and fine arts programs, recognition for excellence and other opportunities, the MSHSL provides opportunities for most every student. To walk away from that would be unwise and unfathomable.
Leaving the MSHSL would deny students the opportunity to participate in activities where New Prague students have long distinguished themselves for excellence. Without membership in the MSHSL, there would be no more opportunities for NPHS’s actors, its artists or performers to shine on the state stage. There would be no more state tournament participation for student-athletes without the MSHSL. Candidates noted the benefits of participation in activities, arts and athletics alike – camaraderie, teamwork, problemsolving, working toward a goal, learning and growing from mistakes and celebrating success.
There is also a potential financial component to deciding to leave the MSHSL. Open enrollment. New Prague gains hundreds of students via open enrollment. Is it reasonable to surmise leaving the league would make New Prague a less attractive option? Is it reasonable to assume leaving the MSHSL would prompt existing students interested in participating in league-sponsored activities and their families to leave the district? Yes. Can the district afford such an anticipated loss of students and the aid that comes with them? No.
Earlier this year, some folks, perhaps members of a group of people small in numbers but with a loud unified voice, indicated support for ending membership in the MSHSL because of its support for, among other items, gender equity and students transitioning from one gender to another. We get the concern some folks have about the safety of their children when people in transition start using restrooms and locker rooms, but there has been no factually based incident known publicly. If such an incident has occurred, the district has successfully kept it quiet. We understand there is concern a boy transitioning to being a girl would impact the roster of a girls’ team and perhaps rewrite established records.
Should the school district spend precious resources building new restrooms and locker rooms or adapting existing facilities to singleuse facilities? Unless we have credible concern a trans student might accost a non-trans student in a locker room or restroom or a trans student rewriting records, should we live in fear of what might happen when there is no proof such a concern is justified?
Thanks to the chamber We owe a debt of thanks to the New Prague Chamber of Commerce for hosting the candidate forum. It takes plenty of work and scheduling gymnastics coordinating schedules and setting up an event where all six participants can attend.
The questions in candidate forums can, in some cases, be as unhelpful to potential voters. The event contained the answers to valid questions members of the community who pay attention to their school district are talking about. Could there have been more probing questions asked, like positions on participating in tax abatements or plans for addressing student cellphone use during school hours? Of course, but we should be appreciative the chamber held the event, the district allowed the use of the board room as well as hosting a replay of the event on its website.
As it has so many times before, the chamber offered the community a valuable service. Thanks.