Student athletes to have new academic requirements
Date: 4/25/2012
April 25, 2012By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.comCHICOPEE — Thirteen current students may be affected by the new academic policy put in place by the Chicopee School Committee on April 18.
In a move designed to increase the academic rigor that student athletes face, the School Committee voted to approve a new policy that will require them to pass five of their seven classes with a grade point average of 65.
The previous policy set a goal of passing four classes with a grade point average of 60.
The vote was not unanimous, with School Committee member Chester Szetela voicing his concerns that the new policy reflected not enough change.
"I would like to see more demands, " he said.
Szetela wanted the committee to reconsider the policy and allow for more time to develop the policy before a vote. He said the policy didn't include considerations of academic effort and behavior.
He also objected there was one standard for athletes and another for participation in clubs or the school band program.
School Committee member Adam Lamontagne noted the committee has been discussing a change since January 2009. Students first approached the School Committee about changing the policy.
The policy also carries a provision of having a waiver that could be applied to a student only one time in the four years of high school.
School Superintendent Richard Rege said that strengthening the provision further could prove to be a case of "too much too soon" and would actually increase the dropout rate.
Susan Szetela-Lopes and School Committee Vice Chair Marjorie A. Wojcik joined Szetela in voting against the policy.
Rege said that Chicopee has changed as a community and school district and in many homes students don't receive the kind of attention they once did from parents on matters of their education.
He added that he believed that setting a grade point average for athletes at 65, but for other activities at 60 is "discriminatory."
School Committee member Donald Lamothe made a motion to address that discrepancy at a Policy Sub-committee.
*** Rege also praised the School Department staff as a whole and the actions of three individuals in particular during the shooting incident on April 13.
He cited what crossing guard Deborah Paquette, bus driver Cecelia Rosado and bus monitor Tina McCollaum did to protect student as "heroic."
Rege said that Paquette saved eight or nine children from the line of fire " and acted without any concern for herself."
"She was a rock," Rege added.
Watching the security camera tape from the school bus, Rege said one could see how Rosado and McCollaum acted to protect a child in the bus. McCollaum covered the child with her own body.
"At no time did she panic," he said.
Rosado was calling in status reports to the central office to keep school officials and parents informed.
Rege thanked the Chicopee Police department and the State Police for their response to the emergency.
"It was a horrifying scene," Rege said. "Very, very scary."
*** The School Committee also discussed the physical requirements of the School Department building and its future.
Rege said that he believes the building has three or four years before the department must find a new location.
Ronald Simard, the School Department's director of Maintenance told Rege and the School Committee the present structure on Broadway housing the School Department offices undergoes annual structural evaluations.
"Are we safe at this building, yes, "Rege said. "We're safe right now."
Concerns have been raised about the ability of the building to support a heavy load of snow.
Rege also said there are other places, such as the former Belcher School in which the offices could be temporarily housed.
Lamothe noted that in a reallocation plan that would take place once a new middle school is established in the former Chicopee High School the Szetela Pre-School would move to the Fairview Veterans Memorial Middle School, making that building open to a new use.
