The votes are being counted at Missouri State High School Athletic Activities Association (MSHSAA) headquarters. The final tally should be available this evening. Here’s a round up of recent articles from around the state on the issue. Any bets on the outcome?
SE Missourian – State considers splitting public, private tournaments
“That’s one we’re definitely keeping our eye on,” MSHSAA spokesman Rick Kindhart said. “It will have a tremendous impact on how we do things. Of the 31 issues [on the ballot], that’s probably the one that has the biggest impact on every school in the state.”
Columbia Tribune – Separating public, private is wrong way to go
My main trepidation that this crazy idea might actually come to pass stems from the fact that I only know of 72 schools in the state that most certainly will not vote for this. Those would be the 72 private schools that want no part of separate state championships. That means at least another 217 of the remaining 502 public schools would have to vote against this in order to keep things the way they are. Those votes are hardly in the bag considering that the state-championship separation would benefit the public schools’ chances of winning more state titles.
And, unfortunately, that’s all this issue is about.
Joplin Globe – A level playing field?
At the center of the debate is financial aid and the belief in some circles that some of the 70 private schools that belong to the MSHSAA, especially those in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, can recruit specific students and therefore have an inherent advantage in athletics. “What (public schools) keep saying is they want to level the playing field,” said Bill Carter, the headmaster of Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School in Joplin. “No matter how you play, they think we recruit.”
Joplin Globe – Zach Ewing: Splitting MSHSAA not the answer
To Thomas Jefferson headmaster Bill Carter, the argument started shortly after AAU coach and promoter Myron Piggie was busted in 2000 for giving cash payments to star basketball players JaRon and Kareem Rush.
Just FYI, MSHSAA does not stand for Missouri State High School Athletic Association as you state in this article. The first A in MSHSAA stands for “Activities” (Missouri State High School Activities Association). MSHSAA maintains control over other competitions beside athletics. For example Speech & Debate and Music.