How it will B
School Board elects to move Ronan to Class B
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RONAN — Making a change can be hard, just ask the members of the Ronan School Board.
After more than an hour-and-a-half of discussion between the board, school administrators and citizens Monday evening, the board made the tough decision to move Ronan into Class B beginning next school year.
By virtue of a 6-1 vote, the board decided to make the drop to Class B as enrollment at the high school has made a steady decline over the past few years.
“We have a difficult decision in front of the board tonight,” Board Chair Chris Lynch told the more than two dozen in attendance. “I have swayed back and forth. We are here tonight because the Montana High School Association has set a number and, based on that number, we should be in Class B.”
The school’s dilemma came about after a decline in enrollment over the past few years left the high school with a count of 316 students this fall, well under the Class B cutoff of 339 students. Coupled with the spring 2010 count of 317, the enrollment numbers at Ronan High School left the district with the choice of remaining in Class A for the next two years or making the move to Class B.
After several public meetings to discuss the matter and much debate around town, the school board finally faced the moment of decision Monday evening.
Opinions in the crowd and among the district’s administrators were mixed as the board heard from several in attendance before making their decision.Trustees were even presented with a letter from Montana High School Association Executive Director Mark Beckman presenting his view on the situation.
In his letter, Beckman stated “Because Ronan High School’s two year average is within the Class B enrollment figures (120-339), I am recommending to the Executive Board, at their November 22nd meeting, reclassify Ronan High School to Class B beginning in the 2011-12 school year.”
Following the school board’s request that district administrators make their individual recommendations as to what should be done, many seemed conflicted as they cited their reasons for either staying in Class A or moving to Class B.
Among the top reasons stated for staying, several administrators cited the extra time out of the classroom for district tournaments that Class B uses would bring.
In Class B, volleyball, basketball and track play a district and conference tournament before advancing to the state level while Class A uses just a conference tournament.
It was also pointed out that, in Class B, golf would be moved to a spring sport, played the same time as track and softball, putting additional academic strain on students attempting to play more than one sport.
While there were many reasons given for staying in Class A, there were just as many reasons presented for making the move to Class B.
Many pointed out that a level playing field against schools closer to Ronan’s size could easily bring about more success for the school’s sports programs. It was also brought up that such success would lead to higher morale and would be a great benefit to the school.
It was also stated that Ronan’s newer sports facilities would be a great draw for Class B schools, many of which have already contacted the school about holding events at Ronan should the school make the move to Class B.
Student Body President Riley Dennis stated that it was a prominent opinion among students that the move to Class B would be seen as degrading or a step down, an opinion quickly combated by board member Wendy Thinglestad.
“I think it is sad that our students would think that making the move to Class B is degrading in any way,” she said. “Moving to Class B is not making a step down and it is not about social class. This is a decision based on numbers, pure and simple. The MHSA has those numbers for a reason.”
Lynch also made it clear how upsetting it was to him that the only time the public seems to be interested in what happens with the board is when there is a large athletic decision being made.
“This is the ‘biggest’ decision I have had to make in my seven years on the board and I think it is kind of sad that all of our ‘big’ decisions always seem to involve athletics,” he said. “There’s this and there was the whole thing with the mascots a few years back. I wish we could get this many people here when we are making decisions about curriculum.”
When the discussion finally came to a close around 9 p.m., the board elected to take a rare roll call vote on the matter. Tom Anderson was the only dissenting voice as the vote was cast while Lynch, Thinglestad, Carmel Couture, Mark Clary, Bob Cornwell and Roger Romero all voted to make the move to Class B.
With the move, Ronan will go from being the second smallest school in Class A to being the second largest school in Class B.
