The Indoor Color Guard at the Tyrone Area School District will have the opportunity to participate in the finals of the Atlantic Coast Championships in Wildwood, N.J.
The girls will be traveling to the event at the end of the month, thanks to a reversal by Tyrone Area school officials. Originally, high school principal Rebecca Erb in consultation with superintendent Dr. William N. Miller had decided against the trip. The issue was brought up at a school board meeting last month when several supporters of the group expressed their disappointment about the decision.
At the time, Miller explained the main reason for the decision was the need for the participants to miss two days of school. In the past, the trip had required only one missed day.
Miller explained the district will have to review all non-educational trips and activities in the future because of the No Child Left Behind legislation schools have been mandated to implement during the next several years.
Erb echoed those thoughts during a recent interview on the issue.
“We have been asked to reevaluate our priorities,” said Erb. “We have to think about putting academics first in regard to every activity. “We have to judge things which come before us on educational merit.”
Field and other trips are approved first by the building principal and the superintendent before being passed on to the school board for final approval.
“The students are going to be able to go after some guidelines were established,” said Erb.
One point made by supporters was the fact many other students travel to a variety of competitions. In those cases, the students participate in the events by earning a position in them such as sports competitions sanctioned by the PIAA. Similarly, many musical students also earn places in band and choral competitions.
However, unlike other competitions, indoor guard members are able to compete in the finals at Wildwood even if they do not win chapter championships which are held later this month.
“We are happy the students are being allowed to compete in the championships,” said Patty Shellenberger, an advisor for the group.
“Many of the parents wrote emails in support of the girls being allowed to attend,” said Shellenberger. “They have practiced long and hard and really work as a unit.”
According to Erb, the students will be able to participate at Wildwood because the following guidelines were established and an agreement was reached between the district and the group.
Members have to pay any past fundraisers which were due by March 30 according to Erb. Each member also must pay a fee for the trip to Wildwood with any amount being owed due by April 15. All members have to be academically eligible. Also, if for some reason a “high alert” status is issued by the government, the trip as well as any other school trips scheduled at the time would be cancelled.
“There were some red flags associated with the trip since there were no guidelines. Basically it was if you can raise the money you can go,” said Erb. “We felt there should be some level of performance of excellence to qualify and that’s being look at for the future.”
The Tyrone Area Indoor Color Guard recently appeared at a competition at Laurel Valley and took first place according to Shellenberger. The group is also scheduled at an event in Cumberland, MD prior to an appearance at chapters at the middle school in Johnstown on April 24.
The group is scheduled to leave on Thursday, April 29 for the event in Wildwood.
The trip still must be formally approved by the school board during its regular April meeting.
