In a Split Vote, North Penn School Board Approves High School Fall Sports for Upcoming School Year

North Penn High School’s fall sports will, in fact, take place this fall season of the 2020-21 school year. In a tight 5-4 vote, the North Penn School District Board of Directors voted to allow all sports to proceed, but all with modifications to a typical season. 

NPHS Principal Pete Nicholson was joined by Athletic Director William Bartle in presenting an elaborate and sourced plan. Using guidance from the county, the  Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), and Suburban One League, the two explained a 22-page document outlining the procedures and policies in place for such sports to continue. 

Fall sport organizations began practicing on July 1, and were able to put the concepts to the test. Using small “pod-like” groupings, separating players, along with the approaches that have come to be quite common, such as wearing masks, hand sanitizing, and social distancing, the summer voluntary workouts were a success. Not a single case was reported in relation to the sport activities.

The three-phase plan was rolled out beginning in July, with appendix updates created in four unique requests along the way. The plan closely resembled that of the Marching Knights, the school’s band, which was voted to be permitted in an action item right before the sports discussion.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the board of directors discussed at length the pros and cons of the plan, one that was not created lightly.

“Since the beginning of summer, the Suburban One athletic directors have been meeting weekly,” explained Bartle. The league was able to create reduced schedules that focused on geography (no team will play outside of Montgomery or Bucks counties), as well as persons involved.

“We will limit the amount of contests,” said Bartle. “We will limit the amount of opponents. We will limit coaching staff, and there will be no spectators.”

Bartle explained that a typical football season, for example, would typically run around 20 games, but this year would be limited to just 12. Soccer, for both boys and girls, will be reduced from 20 games to 10.

The number of matches was not all that changed. Bartle said that if a team, such as field hockey, was to play in 10 games this season, it would be made up of five opponents, each of which the school would play twice. 

Bartle cited sources such as the Montgomery County Department of Health, and its use of MAKO for COVID-19 testing, allowing coaches, players and parents to feel more comfortable about continuing on with a season.

“MAKO has promised test results in 36 hours; they are averaging 12-hour turnaround,” he said.

Despite answers to many of the board, parent and community questions, Bartle said that not all sports would be the same. Each would have unique challenges.

The PIAA plan allowed sports to be categorized into High (i.e. wrestling, football), Moderate (i.e. basketball, softball, baseball, soccer), and Low Risk levels (i.e. individual running, throwing, skiing), with unique rules for each category, largely based on the amount of physical contact and location of players during contests.

Two sports, according to North Penn feedback, seemed to have a unique concern, being the only two that occur indoors in the fall: volleyball and water polo. Bartle said he was in search of outdoor means for both sports to be able to play and practice out of doors. Should suitable arrangements not be approved in time, the two sports could still face elimination.

“There are limits on the number of persons that can be at a contest, depending on it being in- or outdoors,” said Bartle. He said events that were outside were permitted up to 250 persons, while indoor functions could only allow for 25.

“That might be fine for a practice,” he said. “But that would be difficult in competition.” The AD noted that once managers, statisticians, trainers, and bench players are added to those in the live game, the number becomes impossible.

The other sport that caused much debate was football. As one of the few “High” risk sports which, according to the county was not recommended to be played at this time, football was the only reason, according to directors, that four “nay” votes occurred.

Directors Al Roesch, Timothy MacBain, Dr. Wanda Lewis-Campbell, and Christian Fusco all voted down the plan to allow fall sports, all four citing that they wanted to discuss football separately. However, as Directors Tina Stoll, Juliane Ramic, Kassa, Cathy Wesley, and Elisha Gee all voted “yes,” the motion passed without further alteration.

Current plans did allow for football to be delayed the most, not starting games until Sept. 21. All sports, according to Bartle, would end by Oct. 30. The board was satisfied that this timeline left enough buffer should students be able to return to in-person education on Nov. 6.

Bartle noted that some districts had already approved full sports, such as all Central Bucks locations, both Council Rock high schools, along with Pennridge, Upper Dublin, Wissahickon, and Abington, all ahead of the North Penn vote Wednesday night. The only two known schools in the SOL that voted not to include fall sports were Cheltenham and Harry S. Truman high schools.

“There are 24 or 25 schools in the SOL,” said Nicholson. “Thus far, only two have said ‘no.’” Schools were to have a decision to the League by Friday.

Director Johnathan Kassa asked if allowing athletes to play, while optional and known to have risks inherent to the sport itself, would bring upon the district an added liability. General Legal Counsel Sharon Montanye noted that, while some districts were having waivers created, neither these nor a decision to allow sports would be a likely liability for North Penn.

“It doesn’t create an additional liability,” she noted. “It may be like a belt and suspenders. We’ve drafted [waivers] but it probably doesn’t help.”

Prior to finalizing the discussion, Superintendent Dr. Curtis Detrich asked the board to also consider transportation to and from games. While many ideas were floated, the board noted it would prefer that transportation be provided by the district.

“I don’t want distracted teen drivers, or tired parents, having to drive to all these games,” said Lewis-Campbell. 

With the season’s schedules shortened in number of games, Gee noted that adding buses to the routes to allow for social distancing should not put a burden on the budget, as more bus trips were planned previously. 

Ultimately, the board voted 9-0 to provide said transportation, taking into account best social distancing practices, while also allowing an option, previously not permitted, for parents to escort their own children to contests themselves. 

The decisions regarding high school play, according to Bartle, do not include middle school actions. A deadline had not yet been set by the SOL, and thusly no decisions were made regarding grades under high school level.

For the full NPHS Return to Play Plan, visit the link here.

See also:

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