Wythe Bulldogs Seek Even Playing Field
Little known fact is that Richmond Public High Schools have to compete with larger, richer county schools. The result as you would expect, is wholesale slaughter on the playing fields. This is best displayed by George Wythe’s impressive, for all the wrong reasons, 67 game losing streak. With poor records participation in sports declines. To try and correct this problem the Richmond School Board would like to seeArmstrong, George Wythe, Huguenot, John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson secede from their current divisions and form a new division. It looks to be an uphill battle. RTD has the details;
Other schools with similar enrollments — perhaps Colonial Heights, Hopewell or Petersburg — would be invited to the new district. Where that leaves the remaining schools is unknown.
VHSL executive director Ken Tilley said it’s unlikely that a fifth district will be formed. The current alignment, with four districts making up the Central Region, allows for playoff brackets to be constructed easily.
The board doesn’t want its schools to move to Group AA, even though the enrollment of Richmond schools is a better fit for that classification. Few Group AA schools are located near Richmond, making travel more difficult.
That means if the city schools get their own district and remain in Group AAA, a complete overhaul of the Central Region would be necessary.
67 game losing streak? C’mon Bulldogs, geez.
Who cares about their losing streak? Are they even accredited acedemically???? The city needs to put their efforts towards something more important that the football team, like raising the percentage of students who grduate. Then maybe parents in the area could actually consider neighborhood schools for their children rather than sending their private schools.
**their kids to private school**
I think Ashley has it right. This smacks of an attempt by RPS to establish an entirely different conversation – one directed way away from their shortcomings in this particular area.
The more young people playing sports, the better. If G.W. played on a more even playing field there would most likely be more students playing sports and less hoodlums to run around, up to no good. They are way out of their league when they go out to Monacan or Midlothian to play baseball or football. Those that have played and stuck with it deserve much credit.
My husband went to the Citadel on a full ride athletic scholarship and 25 years later is the owner of a very successful Management Consulting Firm. Without that scholarship he never could have afforded college and all the costs associated with it. I think athletics for high school students in under-served neighborhoods builds camaraderie, self confidence and hope.
I agree with Christina. I’ve known some George Wythe students over the years who participated in cheerleading, football, and other extracurricular activities. Some of these kids would not have kept their grades up had it not been for these activities. In addition to hope and self-confidence, I would say perseverence is certainly something to be learned from sticking with a team that has a 67 game losing streak. They don’t even have their own home field to play on – Huguenot is Wythe’s “home field”. Wythe seems to be ignored by RPS. There is a lot of concern about re-building Huguenot. What about George Wythe? It seems to be in worse condition.
How much did Center Stage, a PRIVATE development, cost the City?
What has been the return the public investment?
What are Center Stage’s current finances?
I suggest to you that items like this, a PUBLIC school’s football field, are part of the opportunity costs for the PUBLIC investment in Center Stage, a PRIVATE entity. (This goes for the Hippodrone also).
What about parent involvement? Here is another example of govt wanting to throw more money at a problem, thinking it is the answer. Parental responsibility/participation for their respective children, in school, cannot be overstated….Dont expect the govt to raise your children.