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Private schools have unfair sports advantage
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Editor, A few weeks ago, Calvary Baptist School of Savannah beat Treutlen County 11-0 for the Class A Region Championship. Treutlen will go to the state playoffs as a No. 2 seed. Calvary has a great team. I take nothing away from their ability. What I have a problem with is the system.
Treutlen, prior to this game, was 13-1 in their sub-region and region playoffs, and 20-3 overall. Treutlen was 7-0 vs. three different Class AA teams; one is going to the state playoffs: Vidalia. These three teams are all public high schools, so Treutlen can hold its own versus public schools.
Here comes the rub ... the Georgia High School Association classifies schools according to average attendance. Calvary fits into the same class — A. However, let’s look at reality.
Calvary can cherry pick their students from Chatham County (population 232,048) and can get students from neighboring Effingham County (population 37,535) if the students start ninth grade there. If an athlete excels in travel team baseball, they come to the attention of Calvary — or any other private school in the state — and can be recruited to attend that school.
Most public schools in Class A are restricted to a small geographical area, usually a city or small county. Treutlen County can only choose from its population of 6,874 people.
Is this advantage that private schools have legal? The GHSA condones this and it will not change unless the Georgia Legislature changes the rules. I’ve been told that at one time the rules changed for a few years because a high-ranking legislator’s grandson was being beaten in state debate contests by private schools. Is this advantage that is given to private schools right? In my opinion, not only no, but heck no!
Maybe you think this is sour grapes coming from someone involved in a small county sports program. Maybe so, but look at the statistics:
From 2001-09, of 151 Class A sports state championships, 112, or 74 percent, were won by private schools. Of the 100 schools statewide in Class A, 40 are private schools. We have 40 percent of the schools winning 74 percent of the state championships during that period. The only sports to have a majority of public school champions are football, with public schools winning eight of nine, and wrestling, with a 9-0 record for public schools.
There are many smaller, private schools that play for the Georgia Independent School Association. Why don’t the 40 private schools play in the GISA? Reaping the benefits of the financial rewards of winning the GHSA state championship may have something to do with it.
Should the rules be changed? Sure, but most of our state representatives, congressmen and senators send their kids to private schools, so forget them fixing this wrong.
The only way to get this changed is to have a ground swell of public opinion to try to sway the legislature or the GHSA. Who in these two groups really gives a hoot about the little Class A schools? How do you explain to your child that it’s the system and take an 11-0 loss with their No. 4 pitcher pitching, and know that in the first round of the state baseball championship, you’ll have to play another private school from Columbus, the second largest metropolitan area in Georgia? Go figure!

— Jack Hollister
Soperton
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Showing gratitude for service
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Dear editor: Another election cycle is finally over and the voters of Bryan County have spoken. We will have three new county commissioners in January 2011.
My congratulations go out to Jimmy Henderson of District 5, Carter Infinger of District 4 and Wade Price of District 2. I look forward to working with them as we continue to take care of the business of the county.
All three races were contested, which gave the voters a choice of who they wanted as their commissioner. Those who did not prevail in this election are to be applauded for offering themselves as candidates.
Our county owes a debt of gratitude to retiring commissioners Rick Gardner with eight years of service, Blondean Newman with eight years of service as a commissioner and 30 years as tax commissioner, and Toby Roberts with 18 years on the county commission.
These three spent many hours establishing policies and procedures for our county government and many meetings with state and local officials to achieve the best possible outcomes regarding our county on numerous issues. Their many years of experience will be sorely missed.
I well remember the first time I ran for public office and lost. Sometimes those who are not elected are the winners because they don’t have to go to all the meetings – that is said with tongue in cheek, of course.
After my loss, someone sent me the following quotation from President Theodore Roosevelt, which I keep on the wall in my office:
“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
And my wish for all the citizens of Bryan County is to have a truly blessed Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year’s.

Jimmy Burnsed
Chairman
Board of commissioners

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