The Missouri high-school football playoffs have me feeling sentimental about the “good ole days” of Friday night lights. While we never could get over the state semi-final hump, the memories and lessons from my time on the team will last a lifetime. With the state football championships taking place this weekend, I pray for high-quality games, protection from injuries, and that the remaining teams will be proud of all they have accomplished this year. These playoffs have been filled with many ups and downs for students across the state, but for one particular team (which was recently eliminated), the path to the playoffs itself was remarkable.
This year with declining enrollment, Brentwood did not have enough participation to field a football team on their own, meaning that would-be players and their supporters would miss out on a beloved experience. When I saw Brentwood and Clayton were going to merge their football teams, I was excited that these students would be able to play this great sport.
Missouri is seeing population and enrollment declines, which can mean fewer sports teams, fewer elective classes, and other missed opportunities. What Brentwood and Clayton did is admirable. Clayton did not have to share its resources, and Brentwood could have just told everyone there would be no football team this year. However, these two districts came together with the interests of the students in mind, and hopefully more useful collaborations like this will take root in our state.
Building on this example, here are some ways districts can share with each other:
- Sharing facilities and/or fields
- Sharing individual classes
- For example, a district with a physics department could offer spots for students who may not have that option in their home districts.
- Even further, if two districts are tight on resources, one could agree to hire a chemistry teacher, while another could hire a physics teacher—pooling and sharing resources to create a stronger science program for the region.
- Merging sports teams/clubs like Clayton and Brentwood
- Sometimes a district’s constraints aren’t financial, but rather have to do with the actual number of students who want to participate in a team or activity.
- If a district does not have enough participation in a football team, robotics team, band, debate club, etc.; forming a shared program can provide an opportunity for students to make new friends and do something they love in their formative years.
- Sharing students through open enrollment
- Perhaps a student wants to transfer to a smaller school to receive more one-on-one time with his teachers, or more playing time on the football field.
- Or perhaps a student wants to learn from a state-renowned coach, or he or she is drawn to more bustling school environments.
A happier student body can build a stronger community. All students deserve the chance to thrive, and parents should have the choice to send their children to the school which will best serve their needs.
The Clayton-Brentwood football team is inspiring. The team made a solid run into the playoffs, winning two games before falling to Lutheran North in the third round. Two programs that were struggling in different ways put their reservations aside and came together for the betterment of their students. Clayton coach Doug Verby put it like this, “We joked that as long as the adults don’t mess it up, the kids will do just fine. That’s pretty much the way it’s gone. The players just want to play football.”
As adults, we must always remember that education policy should revolve around the betterment of our students. A Clayton student summed up his new experience nicely, “We didn’t know each other, and we’d never played together before. It took a while, but we’ve formed a brotherhood and we’re starting to play like a real football team.”
Policies like open enrollment, sharing classes/programs, or merging teams are needed—especially in a time where enrollment and participation is shrinking, and families want more opportunities. There may even be times when districts should merge and share a superintendent. Let Clayton and Brentwood’s football team serve as an example of what putting students first can do in a community.
