CSense

It's kind or hard to believe any school would have leaky roofs or no books or not enough teachers or classroom space. Oh well, I guess that says something about our priorities.

He is not at Baylor. Do you think this happened or did not happen? I do not care if any one believes me or not, I know the truth. This young man was offered half his tuition paid, call it "aid" call it "scholarship" call it "athletic" call it "academic" call it what you want, but BAYLOR WANTED HIM TO COME TO SCHOOL THERE BECAUSE HE CAN PLAY FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, AND BASEBALL AS GOOD AS OR BETTER THAN MANY OTHER YOUNG MEN IN THE AREA. It does not matter how much Baylor's tuition is or McCallie's or Temple's for that matter or how much his father makes or if any other PRIVATE school "bidded" for his "academics" or "athletics", the fact is BAYLOR WANTED HIM TO ENROLL AT THEIR SCHOOL TO PLAY SPORTS AND WAS WILLING TO CUT HIS TUITION IN HALF FOR IT.

It's not the school's fault or the school system's fault, it is a matter of STATE LAW which applies to all schools in the state. I thought you guys were all about DOING WHAT IS RIGHT and OBEYING THE STATE LAWS? Please explain your last post ELA. My point is, it does not matter where the "law" or rule comes from, it is different for public schools and private schools. As I have said before and will say it one more time, no matter how you look at it public education is different than private education in just about every aspect of administration, athletics, economics, etc so they need to be treated differently. Another question: If someone wanted to donate one million dollars to East Ridge High School, could they? If someone wanted to donate one million dollars to Chattanooga Christian School, could they?

So when Baylor offered to pay half the tuition for my good friend's son it wasn't because he is a three sport star and they just so happened to have picked him out of about 1800 other students at his current high school out of pure luck because he was "in need of academic or financial" aid?

So he could have "donated" the equipment if he could have, but in order to try to stay in business he was trying to at least recoup his cost which was not allowed unless he was willing to do the same for all PUBLIC schools. I see, however, he could have also donated to a private school with no problems OR he could have sold to a private school at his cost without having to sell at the same cost to other private schools, correct? Donation - public ok, private ok Sell at very low price- private ok, public yes as long as you are willing to sell at same price to ALL public schools. Like I said in my previous post, yet another difference in private education and public education.

It’s obvious that Mr. Cowan doesn’t know what the Student Service for Financial Aid in Princeton is, or what function in serves in the financial aid process. Stick to the jock straps, Mr. Cowan, and leave school administration to others. ATTENTION!!! We apoligize for the use of the term " athletic scholarship". The proper term should be "financial aid for athletes". I know that's a huge difference and we are sorry for any offense that may have been inflicted. BTW- CAK doesn't use the Student Service for Financial Aid in Princton. Maybe that's why he didn't mention that. Of course, you didn't know how CAK determines financial need which begs the question why are you commenting on another school's policies? I would like for someone to explain to me the difference in "athletic scholarship" and "financial aid for athletes." Does financial aid mean you have to pay it back? Do athletes at DII schools pay tuition back if they get this "aid?"

So if the Nashville area alphabet schools chose to go DII would they be playing football against: Class: A Bishop Byrne High School (Memphis) First Assembly Christian School (Cordova) King's Academy (Seymour) Lighthouse Christian Academy (Millington) Memphis Catholic High School (Memphis) Southern Baptist Educational Center (Southaven) St. Andrew's - Sewanee School (Sewanee) Tipton-Rosemark Academy (Millington) or Class: AA Battle Ground Academy (Franklin) Briarcrest Christian School (Eads) Evangelical Christian School (Cordova) Harding Academy (Memphis) Knoxville Catholic High School (Knoxville) Notre Dame High School (Chattanooga) Pope John Paul II High School (Hendersonville) St. Benedict at Auburndale (Cordova) Webb School of Knoxville (Knoxville)

CSense..You know that is wrong. I can and do give whatever money I want to support our sports teams at JCM. In fact if I want , I can even designate what I want bought with it if I feel so inclined. You know good and well that if you wanted to donate any money to any public school that you can designate what you want the money to be used for. I`ve done this many times with my public schools. You see a need and you take care of it. VG, Will you please explain to me why my brother, who owns a school supply store, tried to sell a local (Hamilton County) elementary school some playground equipment at his cost because he has a granddaughter and niece enrolled there get slammed by the Hamilton County Department of Education. They told him if he sold one school playground equipment at a certain cost he would have to open the same bid to all schools in the system. He simply cannot conduct his business that way, so he withdrew the bid. Please further explain to me why a local (new) magnet elementary school in downtown Chattanooga had money given to them for playground equipment by the Hamilton County government when during the same year the same public school I mentioned above had to purchase this equipment higher than they should have through money raised by the PTA? I'll bet if my brother wanted to sell Boyd, Chattanooga Christian, Baylor, McCallie, etc playground equipment at his cost there would be NO problems or red tape. Any donations or purchases have to be approved by these same idiots who "zone" certain schools. Some go through, some don't. It does not happen the same way for private schools. Yet another difference in public and private education.

I think a multiplier is unfair, too. It just shifts the problem up a class or two!!

Hey baldcoach, you will have it made in AA until you win your region 3 or 4 years in a row and go to the state finals and maybe win one, then we will be on here again going through the same old arguments.

"Years ago you couldn't even designate donations to a specific fund. All donated money went to a general fund then the board decided where the money went. " That sounds like how the publics used to run and STILL DO.....because of politics and that FREE education that is supposed to be this big advantage for public schools.

Don't care much for your judgemental attitude but I beleive it comes from ignorance. Let me give you the full story. Years ago when the split came about the thought was" we aren't going to give out athletic scholarships b/c that runs counter to our mission. We are a christian school not an athletic school. If these families REALLY want a christain education they should sacrifice." Sounds good, but that's not how the real world operates. I agree that attitude is "overly spiritual". Also it was(and is) a matter of economics. With very little aid money to go around now I can just imagine a family that is denied aid. They will raise a stink about "athletes" receiving preferred treatment whether its true or not. These issues; - the preception of athletics getting too much of the money pie - avoiding controversy over who receives aid, might keep us in Div I anyway. Not to mention the extra travel that might be involved with a switch to Div II. "we aren't going to give out athletic scholarships b/c that runs counter to our mission. We are a christian school not an athletic school. If these families REALLY want a christain education they should sacrifice." Wow.

Shame on you for not being DII now and allowing those kids a good Christian education and athletics.

"work harder" applies to all sports.

"If CPA and FRA are going to have to compete against BGA and Briarcrest they will have to sweetin there own pot and give financial aid." What ever happened to "working harder the old fashion way" like what supposedly brought some of the DI 1A privates where they are now? The bucs should be happy about the Nashville area alphabet schools considering DII. Ultimately it would be less competition for them in AA. Shucks, they have already proven they can compete on the 4A level in football and AAA level in girls softball. Winning in AA won't be a problem ESPECIALLY if those schools go DII.

I guarantee they are multiple sports athletes and they are good at all of them!!

Or at least Roane Mtn spotted fever!!

Strange, I did not get an "undeliverable" or "could not deliver" message or anything. I'll give it another shot.

Speaking of crickets, did you get my personal emails to you baldcoach? Why no response?

Again, you have proven that a school like SD has a zone and private schools do not. Yep, some may have moved into the area. Boyd or any other private school can have athletes from all over the place while a team like lookout Valley cannot. I'm tired of saying that. I wonder if Tennessee could compete in football or women's basketball if the president of UT said they could only recruit players from inside the state? This would be a zone, whereas now they can get them from all over the country. How many of those #1 Lady Vols are from TN? Brittany Jackson is one. Can't think of any more at the present. And no I am not trying to say private schools recruit with the above comment, just throwing some wood on the zone/not zoned fire. I will make one comment about this supposed HUGE dissadvantage for charging tuition. Although I shouldn't because I know you guys have heard it before and still refuse to believe it. It is actually a DISSADVANTAGE to offer (as is the definition somewhat) a free education of a public school. With this free education comes many children (sadly enough) who are only at school because they are forced to be there. They are not only unteachable to some extent, they are certainly uncoachable and will not even think about playing any sport. This is the main reason I say enrollment numbers(at least to have 5 classes in football) is a bit overrated as far as it being an advantage. I'm all for private education and I think it is a wonderful thing. There is and should be nothing wrong with a private school accepting athletes from anywhere they can get them. I see nothing wrong with offering financial aid. I think all private schools should strive to offer aid for those less fortunate than we are. Shame on you if you don't. I'm all for private(magnet as well) schools playing public schools, but I think we should seriously consider drawing the line at making them compete for the same titles. The education is different, the atmosphere is different, the parent support (for the most part) is different, a lot of the student attitude or potential thereof (again for the most part) is different, and the athletics is different. After all, those of you who have children at private schools did not send them there because it wasn't any different or may I say BETTER did you?

I agree with some of the posts above. I don't understand how financial aid is that much of an advantage. As far as Chattanooga goes, I think Baylor and McCallie should be in the same region as Boyd, CCS, Temple, Notre Dame, Tyner and all of the rest of the private/magnet schools. Heck, this would solve the travel issue as well.

"Besides you can`t control participation rates." I agree with this VG. This is why I say enrollment size isn't as much an advantage as some certain other factors, but it seems like the size of a school is what has been separated in the past and a multiplier also ultimately tries to make some schools "larger" in numbers alone than they are forgetting about those "other" advantages.

All I know is bigred and sportsguy that Soddy-Daisy (to my knowledge) has no athlete on any team who lives in Marion County and it has already been said that Boyd alone has 4 athletes and I think all football players and maybe other sports from Marion County. Boyd also had a pretty good lineman who was ineligible to play for most of the year all of the sudden became elgibile around playoff time. If I understand correctly he is from Ooltewah and to my knowledge Soddy-Daisy has no athletes from the Ooltewah area. One would think that a huge school like Soddy-Daisy in comparison to Boyd would have a much wider boundary to receive student athletes. I don't even want to think about comparing public schools with similar enrollment to Boyd. I would even be willing to bet that there are some athletes at Boyd who live in good old Soddy-Daisy itself!!

Sportsguy seems to be the most honest of the private supporters. He understands that a private school can attract some players from other areas just due to the program. About the one mile radius, I know there is no school who has a zone of a one mile radius, but I think you get the point. And you do not have to use softball as the example. Pick any sport. It all works the same. The smallest of private schools can attract (enroll) students from a much larger radius (zone/boundary) than the largest of public schools, much less the small public schools. Why is that so hard to understand?

Supersteve and gobigred Lookout Valley did it for three years, but someone posted on this thread that Boyd has more state appearances for softball than any other team in the area. There was a sense of dominance portrayed. Yes Lookout Valley may have a certain girl or two come through who can compete with anyone, but to be able to do it year in and year out there must be more to it than just luck of who enrolls which brings me to SD and Boyd. SD 5A enrollment, Boyd 1A enrollment. SD with equal pitching as Boyd if not better since SD has had two aces to Boyd's one. For some far fetched reason than you guys want to admit, there seems to be more similarities between a 5A public school and a 1A private school than 1A private to public. Could SD have been able to dominate in the same region as Boyd over the past 20 years? Not sure since Boyd has split the games with SD over the past 2 or 3 years you would sort of think that they may have split in a longer running series. gobigred, what you say may be true about fielding a winning team. I will make you a similar challenge. You field a team from within a one mile radius of your house and I will field a team with players from all over the south including players from within your boundary and see who more likely could field the winner. Deal?