Texas school drops sports programs to focus on academics

NOW Everyone knows that

OPENsportsOPENare big in Texas, but a news item this week reminds the primaryAugustus14ththat focus of school should really be...

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(drum2011 roll, please)... Education. shooting

The governing body of

Texas schools, the Texas Education -00pm6:00pmAgency, monitors the job which each district is doing for their students. Financial failure or failure to adequately educate the kids can result in a school being closed and annexed into a neighboring district. That happened to five Texas school districts in the last 15 years.

Another district facing imminent closure is Premont ISD, 65 miles southwest of Corpus Christi, in Jim Wells County. PISD has been struggling with poor attendance (averaging 88%), dropping enrollment (from 800 five years ago to 570 this year), failure to meet AYP (Adequate Year- ly Progress) standards since 2007, and they recently earned a TEA rating of Unacceptable for the second time in three years. TEA put PISD on probation last year and was ready to close the district this July and send the school children to a neighboring district 35 miles away. The small ranching community would also be losing their largest employer, representing 90 local jobs.

A new superintendent, Ernest Singleton, was hired seven months ago with the daunting assignment of trying to save Premont's sinking ship. This week the district made state and national news with the announcement the superintendent and School Board trustees have decided to cancel all sports programs for the remainder of this term and next fall, in order to focus on academics. The time used for sports would be refocused on tutoring and test preparation. The action would also save money -- $50,000 this semester and $100,000 in the fall, funds which will be earmarked for new science labs and programs to raise the academics.