Minn. Lawmaker Asks for Legislative Audit of MSHL

[1excg]

http://kstp.com/news/lawmaker-legislati ... e/4043257/

Jay Kolls
Updated: 02/09/2016 6:21 PM
Created: 02/09/2016 5:40 PM
A Minnesota lawmaker has asked the head of the Legislative Audit Commission to support his request for a performance audit of the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL).
State Representative, Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake) told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, "I am not accusing anyone at the MSHSL of doing anything wrong, but the last time the MSHSL was audited by the Legislative Auditor was 1998."
Dettmer added, "There is a growing number of student transfers that are tied to athletics and a review of the operations and performance of the MSHSL would be helpful to everyone connected to high school sports."
Dettmer said that some parents attempt to skirt the state’s transfer rules and that he is pushing for a review of how the MSHSL handles unique transfer situations.
The MSHSL said it reviews about 3,000 transfer situations from local school districts every year. Under transfer rule guidelines, a high school student is eligible for varsity sports right away, if the student's entire family moves into a permanent residence near the school to which the student enrolls.
If the entire family does not move into the home by the student’s ninth grade year, then the high school student must sit out varsity sports competition for one year.
The MSHSL has seen some parents, in recent years, attempt to circumvent the transfer rules by moving their children into the homes of friends, relatives, or even rental homes, to establish residency in the district of the high school the student wishes to attend.
MSHSL Executive Director, Dave Stead, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, "I have not talked to Rep. Dettmer about his request, so I am not sure I can comment directly about it."
Stead added that the MSHSL doesn’t enforce student transfer rules; rather, transferred requests submitted by individuals school districts are reviewed and an opinion on whether those requests meet those rules is then provided
"We are there to assist school athletic directors with their decisions, but ultimately the individual schools determine eligibilty, not MSHSL," Stead said.
It will be several months before the Legislative Audit Commission decides whether it will approve the MSHSL audit request by Dettmer.

[Tripod]

Any high school student (athlete or not) should be able to move easily from one school to another. Competition is sorely lacking in K-12 education. A school gets a good reputation, students will flock there - causing all schools to get better. As for athletics, you don't want to create temporary powerhouses, so limit teams to say, two transfer-in athletes over the course of three years.

[Nevertoomuchhockey]

Any high school student (athlete or not) should be able to move easily from one school to another. Competition is sorely lacking in K-12 education. A school gets a good reputation, students will flock there - causing all schools to get better. As for athletics, you don't want to create temporary powerhouses, so limit teams to say, two transfer-in athletes over the course of three years.

I genuinely think the problem is not the rules, but the enforcement. That should fall in part on coaches who are playing questionable transfers.

Curious where this legislator lives and what kind of transfer issues around his kid/program or constituents kid/program initiated this? Also curious to see if it happens. With only this limited info, I think in theory it's a good idea.

Thoughts?

[TooManyEagles]

Any high school student (athlete or not) should be able to move easily from one school to another. Competition is sorely lacking in K-12 education. A school gets a good reputation, students will flock there - causing all schools to get better. As for athletics, you don't want to create temporary powerhouses, so limit teams to say, two transfer-in athletes over the course of three years.

I genuinely think the problem is not the rules, but the enforcement. That should fall in part on coaches who are playing questionable transfers.

Curious where this legislator lives and what kind of transfer issues around his kid/program or constituents kid/program initiated this? Also curious to see if it happens. With only this limited info, I think in theory it's a good idea.

Thoughts?

(R-Forest Lake)

[jg2112]

Gee, I wonder why this guy is asking for an audit.

[WCHBlog]

Curious where this legislator lives and what kind of transfer issues around his kid/program or constituents kid/program initiated this? Also curious to see if it happens. With only this limited info, I think in theory it's a good idea.

Thoughts?

Dettmer is from Forest Lake and a big wrestling guy. He was wrestling coach there for a long time. But all of his kids are well past high school age.

[goldy313]

I guess I don't understand how an audit would have anything to do with the transfer policy.

I find it funny KSTP brings up Eastridge and their football since one of the most poorly kept secrets in the high school world was Garcia and his eligibility (or lack thereof). If the coaches and nearly every player knew he should have been ineligible and didn't speak up why shouldn't they have been punished?

[BowlusGoon]

The intent of open enrollment program in Minnesota was educational. I have yet to meet a child who opened enrolled and didn't play sports. As a former teacher my chances of meeting a student who came to my school for an education and was not heavily focused on a sprt where we excelled at was very high. I do not recall many of these parents being involved I education and contacting me as a teacher. What it has become is an opportunity for delusional parents to live thru their kids athletic ability and transfer an 8th grader kid based on sports. The hidden little secret that never comes to the forefront is where the student goes the money follows. $6800 goes with the child to the school he/she open enrolls into. This is my major problem with open enrollment. If you want to go play hockey for another school, go nuts. Chances are your child will not make to the NHL because he or she wins 10 more games, but mommy and daddy feel justified sitting in the stands. Why are the tax payers shifting money around from my community for sports rather than education. Look at Hopkins basketball program. Everyone knows what is going on there is wrong, but I do not think Hopkins is to concerned about enforcing the rules. They get the trophies and the money. That's why an audit is a good idea. If a school or a student is clean, then they will have no problems.

[green4]

The intent of open enrollment program in Minnesota was educational. I have yet to meet a child who opened enrolled and didn't play sports. As a former teacher my chances of meeting a student who came to my school for an education and was not heavily focused on a sprt where we excelled at was very high. I do not recall many of these parents being involved I education and contacting me as a teacher. What it has become is an opportunity for delusional parents to live thru their kids athletic ability and transfer an 8th grader kid based on sports. The hidden little secret that never comes to the forefront is where the student goes the money follows. $6800 goes with the child to the school he/she open enrolls into. This is my major problem with open enrollment. If you want to go play hockey for another school, go nuts. Chances are your child will not make to the NHL because he or she wins 10 more games, but mommy and daddy feel justified sitting in the stands. Why are the tax payers shifting money around from my community for sports rather than education. Look at Hopkins basketball program. Everyone knows what is going on there is wrong, but I do not think Hopkins is to concerned about enforcing the rules. They get the trophies and the money. That's why an audit is a good idea. If a school or a student is clean, then they will have no problems.

I would say plenty of kids open enroll for the education. I would actually say a majority go for eduction. I don't know what school you taught at, but if you look at statistics of just minneapolis kids who are open enrolling I don't think it is physically possible for them to all be doing this just for a sport.
At my time at Edina, there was probably 30 kids who open enrolled in my graduating class. Only one played a sport, which was football, none of the others played any sports.

[goaliewithfoggedglasses]

I would say plenty of kids open enroll for the education. I would actually say a majority go for eduction. I don't know what school you taught at, but if you look at statistics of just minneapolis kids who are open enrolling I don't think it is physically possible for them to all be doing this just for a sport.
At my time at Edina, there was probably 30 kids who open enrolled in my graduating class. Only one played a sport, which was football, none of the others played any sports.

I'm sure that is true, but I'll also bet the majority of those kids open enrolled in kindergarten. A kid that transfers in 8th grade is much more likely to be doing so for sports.

[HShockeywatcher]

The intent of open enrollment program in Minnesota was educational. I have yet to meet a child who opened enrolled and didn't play sports. As a former teacher my chances of meeting a student who came to my school for an education and was not heavily focused on a sprt where we excelled at was very high. I do not recall many of these parents being involved I education and contacting me as a teacher. What it has become is an opportunity for delusional parents to live thru their kids athletic ability and transfer an 8th grader kid based on sports. The hidden little secret that never comes to the forefront is where the student goes the money follows. $6800 goes with the child to the school he/she open enrolls into. This is my major problem with open enrollment. If you want to go play hockey for another school, go nuts. Chances are your child will not make to the NHL because he or she wins 10 more games, but mommy and daddy feel justified sitting in the stands. Why are the tax payers shifting money around from my community for sports rather than education. Look at Hopkins basketball program. Everyone knows what is going on there is wrong, but I do not think Hopkins is to concerned about enforcing the rules. They get the trophies and the money. That's why an audit is a good idea. If a school or a student is clean, then they will have no problems.

The cool thing about sports is that they are a part of our education system, and in many cases play just as pivotal in the development of a child, if not more. There are also really good students who also play athletics, an instrument or are good at speaking. Which is why this is always such a complex topic.

[BowlusGoon]

I was a teacher for 10 years at White Bear and I was referring to the 8th grade transfer.

Sports play a more important role than an education? Really? Why can't the student get the same bennefit out of a sport at his home school. I think reading & writing play a bigger role than anything you learn on a team.

We had a lot of transfers who were obviously coming to play on a better team. If the parents thought it was for a better education, why didn't the other siblings come to WBL as well? How do you determine a school has a better educational program than another? You cannot go by testing, I would argue some schools who have lower test scores might actually have better teachers, but might be hurt by other conditions or demographics.
My main point is I don't think the tax payers should be shifting tax dollars around to play on a better team. A study does not exsit that a child benefits from a development stand point if his team wins a few more games. You could argue the extra time a student losses driving across town hurts him academically.

This is really about money. We just need a better system to weed out the athletics in the equation. I think the tax payers would be angry if they realized money is is following that child from one tax base to another community. Maybe we should let that money go towards a private school as well.

I think we need to somehow justify the transfer to make it educational based. I remember asking our hockey coach what a good player put on his application to enroll at WBL, and the student put " the band". He was not in the band, the band played at the games once in awhile!

[Defensive Zone]

The intent of open enrollment program in Minnesota was educational. I have yet to meet a child who opened enrolled and didn't play sports. As a former teacher my chances of meeting a student who came to my school for an education and was not heavily focused on a sprt where we excelled at was very high. I do not recall many of these parents being involved I education and contacting me as a teacher. What it has become is an opportunity for delusional parents to live thru their kids athletic ability and transfer an 8th grader kid based on sports. The hidden little secret that never comes to the forefront is where the student goes the money follows. $6800 goes with the child to the school he/she open enrolls into. This is my major problem with open enrollment. If you want to go play hockey for another school, go nuts. Chances are your child will not make to the NHL because he or she wins 10 more games, but mommy and daddy feel justified sitting in the stands. Why are the tax payers shifting money around from my community for sports rather than education. Look at Hopkins basketball program. Everyone knows what is going on there is wrong, but I do not think Hopkins is to concerned about enforcing the rules. They get the trophies and the money. That's why an audit is a good idea. If a school or a student is clean, then they will have no problems.

I would say plenty of kids open enroll for the education. I would actually say a majority go for eduction. I don't know what school you taught at, but if you look at statistics of just minneapolis kids who are open enrolling I don't think it is physically possible for them to all be doing this just for a sport.
At my time at Edina, there was probably 30 kids who open enrolled in my graduating class. Only one played a sport, which was football, none of the others played any sports.

I would have to agree. There are a number of students that open enroll in schools throughout the State, especially in the metro area who do not play sports. I know one high school for sure in the south metro that has over 800 students alone in grades 9-12 (Athletes, Arts, STEM, English Lang., SpEd, etc.) that are considered open enrolled on top of their School District students. Some Districts need this extra State money to operate their buildings/programs. This is why these schools except most, if not all, transfer students. There is BIG money involved! As for the Audit, I would love to see this happen. If the transfer rule is supposed to read "the entire family has to move", then I believe some transfers (varsity level) would be in question. I know of a few varsity hockey players that have transferred to play at different high schools this year and their parents have only moved half of their families. The bottom line is the high school Activities Director has to okay all these transfers when it is related to sports eligibility. It would be interesting to see what information would come out of an Audit. Time will tell.

[jg2112]

My purely hypothetical guess as to what is happening.

There are some parents of potential varsity (pick your sport) Forest Lake players who are upset that a few wunderkids have transferred in, taking a potential varsity spot away from their children. They called their legislator to find out if there is anything he could do to stop this.

Ergo, the audit.

[observer]

That's funny. This is FL not Minnetonka.
Train harder and don't lose your spot.

[old goalie85]

I 'm a FL grad we welcome all talent. Bob was a wrestling coach here for 25yrs. He is not happy w/apple valley wrestling.