Recent gazette articles:
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A persistent plea for music in schools.
By FRANK SCHULTZ Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007
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Math competition dropped/staff cuts blamed.
By FRANK SCHULTZ Friday, Dec. 14, 2007
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School board silences All-City Sing.
By FRANK SCHULTZ Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007
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School candidate forum focuses on budget cuts.
By FRANK SCHULTZ Thursday, March 13, 2008
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Where are the articles about the cuts being made in the athletic programs?

Add hockey? Local bowling establishments have been trying to get JSD to recognize bowling as a sport which is also sanctioned by the WIAA. The local school's bowling clubs are growing without JSD support. What about the music and art programs - put them back to where they were a few years ago. Sharing art/music teachers between schools does not work very well.

Boys are welcome in cheerleading, as they are in volleyball. Girls are welcome in wrestling and football. Whenever a sport is offerd primarily for one gender, the other is required to be included whenever possible.

First of all, where does it say anything about money? Perhaps the parents of the kids are footing the bill?
Girls and boys hockey have different rules. Have you seen any girls on the ice at the high school games? How about on the field at the football games?
Girls' hockey has been played primarily through the park district because there are no girls' teams in the high schools. When they get high school age, they are basically "aged-out". They lose the ice time and cannot be seen by scouts to perhaps gain scholarships.
As far as cheerleading, are boys prohibited from joining that?

What a waste of taxpayers money. No ! my daughter does not play hockey, but she does like archery. It could be a co-ed sport

.. If I could add: I don't know all the ins and outs of Title 9, but I suspect it's not a simple matter of adding up the number of sports offered for boys versus those for girls. I believe Mr. Porter knows what he's talking about. --Reporter Frank Schultz

Athletics director Kevin Porter told the board that the district would face no Title 9 issues by adding a girls hockey team, so it appears that the district would not have to add more boys sports. It was not made clear precisely why equity between boys and girls would not be an issue. --Gazette reporter Frank Schultz

What a waste of money.

Question-Will they now have to add another boys sport(or 2 boys sports) to keep things equal between the boys and tbe girls. As it stands right now counting poms and cheerleading the girls have 12 sports and the boys only have 11.

Another smart move by the current school board--cut, cut, cut, but then add a sports program. What is the cost for this? The real cost? Not the oh yea we forgot about this or that cost like they did for the four-year old kindergarten program. There is always a cost that will take away from some other program. I find it funny how many parents support and rally for a sports program, but when we cut other academic or special curriculum where are they?

Right on! Can't wait to see the girls show 'em how it's done.