School Committee to decide if both high schools should have wrestling teams

Date: 1/26/2011

Jan. 26, 2011

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

CHICOPEE — The School Committee will consider the future of the high school wrestling program and whether both Chicopee High School (CHS) and Chicopee Comprehensive High School (CCHS) should have programs.

The question the committee will face is whether it should fund an additional wrestling program in light of potential cutbacks in educational funding.

Athletic Director James Blain appeared before the committee at its meeting on Jan. 19 to discuss the program. Currently under an agreement from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), the city has one high school team with members from both student bodies.

This is the fourth year under the co-op agreement and Blain believes the MIAA will vote against extending the agreement, which is designed to assist school districts in starting an athletic program.

Blain said the School Committee will have to decide by May whether or not both high schools should have a program.

Of the students participating in the program, the majority is from CCHS as the coach of the program is a teacher from CCHS who has been building the program there, Blain explained. If the MIAA doesn't extend the co-op agreement, the team would be housed at CHS, which is the host school. CHS has the needed equipment, such as a mat.

The current CCHS students would be allowed to continue on the CHS team, but no new CCHS students would be allowed to join, he added.

Blain believes there is adequate interest in wrestling at CHS to support a new team, which could have as few as 10 students. He said there are 13 CHS wrestlers at this time.

"I think CHS deserves a team," he told committee members.

School Committee member Donald LaMothe asked where CCHS would store the mats, as currently the school does not have a storage area. Blain said he would consider using Fairview Middle School as the place the CCHS students would practice.

Blain estimated the initial cost to split the current team into two would be $23,000 for the first year. That would pay for the coachs' salaries and a mat and uniforms for the team at CCHS.

After that first year, the cost would be about $9,000 each, he added. Blain said the first year he could finance part of the $23,000 with funds from his revolving account.

School Committee member Michael Pise said he wouldn't want to approve the creation of a second program "at the risk of losing a reading program or teacher."

Pise made a motion, which was approved, to discuss Blain's proposal at the finance and budget subcommittee meeting.

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In light of the winder weather, School Superintendent Richard Rege asked the School Committee and others to "pray for no more snow for the rest of the school year."

Rege explained that he makes the decision to close or delay school based on reports from the Police Department and the Department of Public Works. He tries to make his decision by 5:30 a.m.

He explained the ConnectED phone system then must make calls to 7,500 households with the announcement and there is sometimes a delay as several other schools districts use the same system.

Several School Committee members cited serious problems with snow removal that have forced students to walk in the streets rather than on sidewalks.

School Committee member Adam LaMontagne said, "The last thing I want to see is kids walking in the street. We need to crack down on these people [who don't clear their walk.]"

Committee member Chester Szetela noted that many residential streets in the city do not have sidewalks, making proper removal of snow in the streets a necessity.

The committee passed a motion made by Committee member MaryBeth Pniak-Costello to ask the Law Department for a list of the properties owned by absentee landlords and to determine which city department is responsible for enforcing snow removal ordinances.