Rural school districts, frustrated their voice isn’t heard, are considering a split with Colorado’s statewide high school sports association to create their own.
About 50 rural districts want the Colorado High School Activities Association to address what they see as inequities within the association, starting with the contingent’s belief CHSAA isn’t fulfilling its mission in serving rural districts.
The group’s leaders say they aren’t adequately represented and hold little influence over decision-making. In addition, they have issues with CHSAA’s communication, financial transparency and grievance procedures, and want more say in how state events impact rural schools.
The feeling of disenfranchisement has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic — and now has them contemplating a break with CHSAA.
“We’re trying to work within the system and do what’s best for our kids, and make sure rural schools aren’t overlooked, left out or a second thought,” Brush superintendent Bill Wilson said. “I don’t think there’s intent from CHSAA leadership to do that, but there’s definitely been that type of feeling boiling over the last 20 years.
“So our mindset is, let’s find the option to work together, and if we can’t, we don’t need to have a big to-do about it. To use a playground term, at that point you pick up your ball and go play someplace else.”
One of the most recent disputes arose when CHSAA made the decision last fall to move all of the state title football games to one site without consulting the schools — rural or urban.
Julesburg school district superintendent Shawn Ehnes said the rural schools were upset because of the effect the decision had on their community-driven teams. Even though the decision gave small schools an opportunity to play on the same stage as larger ones, for the lower classifications that normally play title games at home fields, it had a direct impact on attendance. Just 75 fans per team were permitted at the ThunderBowl in Pueblo due to local COVID restrictions. Had the games been played at home fields, more fans likely would’ve been allowed.
There have been other slights too, rural leaders say.
They want to know more specifics about the cost of state championship venues, with breakdowns on the revenue stream and expenditures. They were also upset at the lack of advance notice regarding mandatory COVID testing at the state wrestling tournament. And, without offering specifics, they say CHSAA’s power structure needs an overhaul.
“We’re seeing CHSAA as an organization circle wagons around committees and select groups of people (they know), and not really making any attempt to reach out to our small districts when they’re changing protocol, procedure and practices,” Ehnes said.
CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green declined comment when contacted by The Denver Post.
Rural superintendents met with CHSAA’s board of directors on April 5 to express concerns that a significant portion of Colorado’s rural membership lacks confidence in the association.
At its core, the grievances boil down to rural-versus-urban issues, encapsulated within high school athletics.
Ehnes emphasized the effort “isn’t a rogue group of superintendents acting as individuals. This is a large movement by communities that are tired of the way things are going with (CHSAA).”
The rural schools’ preliminary plan calls for hiring a commissioner from a small school who would oversee Class 1A and 2A, as well as forming a separate rural Board of Directors and a rural superintendents’ CHSAA Advisory Council. Using a survey as a temperature check earlier this year, Wilson said there were about 15 to 20 rural districts who were content with CHSAA and did not want to pursue substantial change. But the majority did.
The group has been brainstorming for about a year but lately became more serious about planning. That included studying what bylaws would look like, hiring legal representation and getting liability quotes from insurance contractors. The foundational pieces for an alternative, rural association are largely in place, as is the backing: Wilson said more than 100 of the state’s 146 rural school districts have been involved in recent discussions.
Alex McIntyre, Greeley TribuneSpectators watch from the Eaton stands during the Eaton Reds game against the Lamar Savages in the CHSAA Class 2A State Football Championship at Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at Colorado State University-Pueblo in Pueblo Dec. 4, 2020. Eaton defeated Lamar 28-21 to claim the 2A state title.“Rural school boards are behind this because they hear (criticism) constantly from parents, student-athletes, the community,” Ehnes said. “They are frustrated, and we’re all looking for CHSAA to be more connected to (rural communities).”
Rural schools comprise about 40% of the state’s 363 member schools, but the overall student population in those schools makes up a significantly smaller percentage. While half of the current 16-member CHSAA Board of Directors has ties to rural/small schools, Wilson’s contingent claim their voice is largely ignored.
“We do think the Rural Alliance ought to be represented (on the Board),” Wilson said. “How does an organization serve the needs of a 5A school in Denver and a remote, small 1A school at the same time? Those needs are very different. There’s this (sentiment) that’s developed over time that says, ‘We are CHSAA, we are one, we are Colorado,’ that kind of attitude.
“Which, said another way is, ‘One size fits all.’ We want to have this conversation because we think there are ways CHSAA can better represent the needs of all of its members.”
CHSAA originally had little interest in hearing out the rural leadership.
Wiggins superintendent Trent Kerr emailed Blandford-Green and Board of Directors president Troy Baker on Feb. 24, requesting a meeting with the rural group. Blandford-Green responded later that afternoon, saying the group would have a five-minute window to address the Board, citing an unnamed bylaw and past precedent.
Kerr took that response back to the group, who “felt like it was a slap in the face.” So Kerr reached out again to Blanford-Green, this time directly by phone, and she reversed course to set the April 5 meeting.
“Being in the room, I think the Board of Directors really did take some onus and understand where we were coming from,” Kerr said. “They understand some of the communication breakdowns that we’ve seen over the years and were able to see the disparity in what’s happening (in comparing rural versus urban treatment) and the lack of communication from the association.”
Following that meeting, Blanford-Green sent out a detailed letter to the rural schools outlining immediate steps that CHSAA planned on taking to address the group’s concerns.
Andy Cross, The Denver PostCHSAA commissioner, Rhonda Blanford-Green at the 2021 Colorado State gymnastics meet, 5A individual events championships at Thornton High School April 24, 2021.Related Articles
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Instead, Blanford-Green offered other changes Ehnes said “is a start, but it’s a long way from what (rural schools) need to be satisfied.”
Those changes included a year-end membership survey Blanford-Green argued allows for “membership to be included in strategic planning.” Additionally, the commissioner said she will work with the Colorado Association of School Executives to establish rural/small school representation at all CHSAA sport/committee meetings; she will attend two or three Zoom meetings each year with the Rural School Alliance; and the association overall will do a better job of sharing the “why” behind its decisions.
Blanford-Green wrote CHSAA “would hate to see any school, especially a faction of our rural or small schools, depart the association.”
“All problems perceived and real can’t be addressed in a week, month, or even a year but I think both groups are committed to two-way improvements and opening more transparent lines of communication in (the) best interest of the association,” Blanford-Green wrote.
But what does that mean for the issue’s immediate future?
The rural group is meeting again Wednesday to discuss feedback from the state’s rural superintendents on Blanford-Green’s initial suggestions. From there, they plan to set up another “think tank” conversation with CHSAA.
Rural leaders hope that path starts to lead to tangible change. If it doesn’t, they’re prepared with their own plan.
“It’s about getting CHSAA to go back to their original roots of being membership-driven, communicating and getting feedback from all schools on important changes or decisions,” Ehnes said. “If CHSAA is not capable, willing or interested in doing that, then we’re prepared to look at an alternative high school athletic association that will be solely focused on making sure that for Classes 1A and 2A especially, we create an association that is driven by our committees.”
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