Burg vs. Portsmouth Future??

[wobycat]

I understand that and the 8th grade class did have several come in but that’s not the norm, and that especially doesn’t mean the administration and coaching staff is doing something for “win at all cost” I promise you a few will trickle in and a few will trickle out but they aren’t trying to weed them out based on their athletic potential

[wobycat]

What you are alluding to is correct.

Wheelersburg from current 7th down through elementary is full. There is a waiting list for open enrollment. They want athletes. If a kid comes to Wheelersburg open enrollment for only academics he counts as 1, but that still takes a spot that they need. Open enrollment players count as 2 or 3. They don’t want those guys that don't play because they need those spots. The questions on the forms allow them to weed out the ones they don't want without showing bias.

Look no further than the change in the band this year that opened up several spots when boys left, but more than anything kept them very close to staying D5

Wow. Only one kid on burgs football team this year that started hasn’t went there since he was in elementary school. It’s amazing how you guys come up with this stuff. Burgs community is nice. Perhaps that’s why the median house is higher.

Never commented on when they transferred in I was giving examples of why they succeed at multiple things at multiple levels not just HS football. As I told you there are many contributing factors, most noteably the lack of accepting kids with IEPs and the affluent nature of the district. I’m at a loss why you are offended by this. This is only the statistics put out by ODE.

Burg is a nice area, the home value is more because of it, so they produce more tax dollars to fund the school, this was in regard to the comment that burg couldn’t accommodate kids with certain disabilities.

Since the band was brought up, why did burg not choose to support the arts?? I know they folded and still have a band now, but are no longer a competiton band. Why were these kids experience marginalized?

Band director left. The board and administration wanted a change in the band. Decided to hire a show band director instead of competition band. They made the decision to go in that direction, some kids didn’t like the decision. They chose not to participate.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

Looks like more then just some, and who could blame them, these kids have worked their whole career to compete and possibly earn the right to go to the state band competition to have it snatched away from them by the board. Wonder why the board felt this way? Lack of money for travel?



What if they decided that football team is only going to play 10 games and take away the playoffs not allowing them to compete at state level like they did the band. These kids aren’t winning games for them on Friday nights though so they again were marginalized and told that what they do isn’t as important.

Again why are these districts with the lower home values who are producing less tax dollars able to accommodate kids with IEPs but Burg and thier high home values can’t??

[rxburgfan]

When you win people want to be a part of it. Why do you stay somewhere when you get drilled each and every week? If your kid wants to play and have success then give them the chance. Makes no difference the sport or community.

Portsmouth should never have dropped Burg. Giving up that home gate was crazy. And makes good local rivalry.

[wobycat]

Looks like more then just some, and who could blame them, these kids have worked their whole career to compete and possibly earn the right to go to the state band competition to have it snatched away from them by the board. Wonder why the board felt this way? Lack of money for travel?



What if they decided that football team is only going to play 10 games and take away the playoffs not allowing them to compete at state level like they did the band. These kids aren’t winning games for them on Friday nights though so they again were marginalized and told that what they do isn’t as important.

Again why are these districts with the lower home values who are producing less tax dollars able to accommodate kids with IEPs but Burg and thier high home values can’t??

My opinion they switched is they were tired of seeing the same show during halftime, they used that time to practice. It’s my understanding that they were allowed to compete but the band director wasn’t going to during halftime of the show. What if they hired a new basketball coach and said they were only going to run this style of offense. Maybe some of the kids wouldn’t like that style and quit. That doesn’t mean you fire that guy and go get a guy that the kids want. It sucks for those kids who wanted the competition band but that’s life. Things don’t always go the way you want them.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

When you win people want to be a part of it. Why do you stay somewhere when you get drilled each and every week? If your kid wants to play and have success then give them the chance. Makes no difference the sport or community.

Portsmouth should never have dropped Burg. Giving up that home gate was crazy. And makes good local rivalry.

I agree, sadly that is the way the world works now, some would rather jump ship then trying to right thier own ship, maybe I’m just old school if you aren’t part of the solution you are part of the problem, however we were talking about why it is easier to succeed at Burg, I.e. only excluding kids with IEPs, and wealth of the district.

I too did not want to see that game go away, Portsmouth however was in a place where they didn’t view it as being able to compete and needed a break to try and rebuild, it also gave burg another week to schedule up for thier recent runs. I don’t personally agree with the decision either, but the program has improved, and my understanding is the game will return in the future.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

Looks like more then just some, and who could blame them, these kids have worked their whole career to compete and possibly earn the right to go to the state band competition to have it snatched away from them by the board. Wonder why the board felt this way? Lack of money for travel?



What if they decided that football team is only going to play 10 games and take away the playoffs not allowing them to compete at state level like they did the band. These kids aren’t winning games for them on Friday nights though so they again were marginalized and told that what they do isn’t as important.

Again why are these districts with the lower home values who are producing less tax dollars able to accommodate kids with IEPs but Burg and thier high home values can’t??

My opinion they switched is they were tired of seeing the same show during halftime, they used that time to practice. It’s my understanding that they were allowed to compete but the band director wasn’t going to during halftime of the show. What if they hired a new basketball coach and said they were only going to run this style of offense. Maybe some of the kids wouldn’t like that style and quit. That doesn’t mean you fire that guy and go get a guy that the kids want. It sucks for those kids who wanted the competition band but that’s life. Things don’t always go the way you want them.

So because they were tired of seeing the same show these kids were marginalized and told they weren’t important.

What if they decided no more football because they are tired of seeing the same offense??


Running a style of offense would be more inline to playing a style of music. Taking away thier opportunity to compete because they aren’t entertained by them at football games is not the same thing. Again football fans didn’t like it so it had to go, it is becomeing more and more clear, that the superiority complex at burg isn’t just to different schools but also depends on what you are involved in.

[bleed_blue]

Looks like more then just some, and who could blame them, these kids have worked their whole career to compete and possibly earn the right to go to the state band competition to have it snatched away from them by the board. Wonder why the board felt this way? Lack of money for travel?



What if they decided that football team is only going to play 10 games and take away the playoffs not allowing them to compete at state level like they did the band. These kids aren’t winning games for them on Friday nights though so they again were marginalized and told that what they do isn’t as important.

Again why are these districts with the lower home values who are producing less tax dollars able to accommodate kids with IEPs but Burg and thier high home values can’t??

My opinion they switched is they were tired of seeing the same show during halftime, they used that time to practice. It’s my understanding that they were allowed to compete but the band director wasn’t going to during halftime of the show. What if they hired a new basketball coach and said they were only going to run this style of offense. Maybe some of the kids wouldn’t like that style and quit. That doesn’t mean you fire that guy and go get a guy that the kids want. It sucks for those kids who wanted the competition band but that’s life. Things don’t always go the way you want them.

So because they were tired of seeing the same show these kids were marginalized and told they weren’t important.

What if they decided no more football because they are tired of seeing the same offense??


Running a style of offense would be more inline to playing a style of music. Taking away thier opportunity to compete because they aren’t entertained by them at football games is not the same thing. Again football fans didn’t like it so it had to go, it is becomeing more and more clear, that the superiority complex at burg isn’t just to different schools but also depends on what you are involved in.

The way I understood the band situation was that the previous band director was offered a job at the school he graduated from or something like that towards the end of the summer. So Wheelersburg was put in a situation where they had to kinda scramble to find a band director at the last minute and they guy they hired wasn’t a show band director and some of the band kids and parents were upset over the schools decision to hire a guy that wasn’t a show band director.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

Ok, I can understand the difficulty finding the right guy on late notice, although I don’t believe there are different qualifications for competition and show directors. ( someone correct me if I’m wrong). OSU and OU graduate kids every year, I also find it hard to believe there was nobody out there that wanted to be a competition band, and since others have already stated the board was tired of seeing the same show, this backs my point of view.

With all the great community support, there was no one that could assist the new band director with competing? Band parents alumni? Nobody could help with this?

[flipper808]

my daughter plays 0 sports at burg and has IEP and got accepted in open enrollment.. we love it there and are treated great.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

my daughter plays 0 sports at burg and has IEP and got accepted in open enrollment.. we love it there and are treated great.

Easy answer to that is she doesn’t count in the male enrollment which is what football divisions are based on.
If I’m not being to personal when was she given her IEP, before or after enrolling at Burg? What is it for? And do you have any other children in the system and what do they do athleticlly if so?

[flipper808]

my daughter plays 0 sports at burg and has IEP and got accepted in open enrollment.. we love it there and are treated great.

Easy answer to that is she doesn’t count in the male enrollment which is what football divisions are based on.
If I’m not being to personal when was she given her IEP, before or after enrolling at Burg? What is it for? And do you have any other children in the system and what do they do athleticlly if so?

she had it before we attended burg. I also have 2 other children that attend they are elementary age. girl and boy

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

Very interesting, first great that you and your family are happy there, most important thing is that the kids like it and are doing well.

I have known of others being rejected is where I draw my assumptions from. I have even know of others living in district being unhappy with Burg because of a lack of help with thier IEP student even suggesting that they may be better in another district.

I’m going to assume your daughter is an exceptional student, despite her IEP? Are you an alumni? What other ties do u have to the school if any?

[flipper808]

Very interesting, first great that you and your family are happy there, most important thing is that the kids like it and are doing well.

I have known of others being rejected is where I draw my assumptions from. I have even know of others living in district being unhappy with Burg because of a lack of help with thier IEP student even suggesting that they may be better in another district.

I’m going to assume your daughter is an exceptional student, despite her IEP? Are you an alumni? What other ties do u have to the school if any?

she is a great kid.. school work wise she struggles with some things . I went to burg until my junior year. as far as the IEP goes we have had 0 problems being at burg. she is being tutored by a teacher at burg now at 0 cost.. the teacher said she felt the extra work after school a couple days a week would really benefit her.. that's what I like about this school. teachers, community peolple , ect seem to go out of the way to help others.. now that's just my experience. I guess everyone has their own

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

Very interesting, first great that you and your family are happy there, most important thing is that the kids like it and are doing well.

I have known of others being rejected is where I draw my assumptions from. I have even know of others living in district being unhappy with Burg because of a lack of help with thier IEP student even suggesting that they may be better in another district.

I’m going to assume your daughter is an exceptional student, despite her IEP? Are you an alumni? What other ties do u have to the school if any?

she is a great kid.. school work wise she struggles with some things . I went to burg until my junior year. as far as the IEP goes we have had 0 problems being at burg. she is being tutored by a teacher at burg now at 0 cost.. the teacher said she felt the extra work after school a couple days a week would really benefit her.. that's what I like about this school. teachers, community peolple , ect seem to go out of the way to help others.. now that's just my experience. I guess everyone has their own

Thank you for sharing, yours is a side I haven’t heard before. Glad this is the case for some students.


I am still afraid that those questions on the open enrollment form are used to, exclude some from the district, but I am glad to know that it is not in all cases.


What district did you transfer from?

[OldBlue]

Portsmouth would have been competitive with Burg this year, PHS strength was running the ball, Burgs Dline was not that great. PHS would have a hard time guarding Holden and Mathews though. PHS could not afford to get down in a game like this and expect to make it back like we did against Ironton, but I don’t see Burg shutting Parker down. I think this would have turned into a shootout, with Portsmouth trying to shorten the game as much as possible by sustained drives.



Now with that said, Burgs superiority complex they have needs to be taken a look at. Are they good? Obviously. Congratulations on another great season, to follow up last years state title. Do they consistently score well on state test? Yes as well.

Let’s now examine this deeper, Burg is far an above the wellthiest school in Scioto county. Bellow I have listed the percent of free or reduced lunch, for some local districts.

Burg 30.12
West42.91
Valley 42.68
East 93.12
Ironton 52.4
Portsmouth 83.89

Studies have shown wealthy districts traditionally preform better then impoverished districts, this is not to say that a poor student can’t succeed but that they are at a marked disadvantage to start.

Next let’s take at special needs, the following is percentage by district

Portsmouth 25.26
Burg 11.28
West 15.77
Valley 14.57
Ironton 11.89
East 20.22

Once again, this doesn’t nessisarly kept a student from succeeding but is yet again another deterant. The majority of these kids are still required to take state testing as well and is represented in the state reports.

Now let’s look at Burgs open enrollment form
https://filecabinet5.eschoolview.com/3D ... t_Form.pdf

One of the first questions asked is does the student have an individualized education plan? Followed by “Has the Student ever been evaluated or referred for Special Education?”. To me, this is pretty clear that these questions are ask to exclude those students that may have special needs. This seems like it would be considered discrimination, however other state have ruled on it, and as long as the school doesn’t have the means to accommodate the student they don’t have to except them, allowing them to pick an choose who they want to open enroll and who they want to exclude. This can be as simple as not having enough intervention specialist.
So let’s not act like Burgs success is all based on their superior work ethic, and natural ability. It’s based on economics and lack of inclusion. It gets a lot easier when you can pick and choice who you want to bring into your system( as other districts lose some of their wealthier and non disabled students to them because state testing paints a picture of inferiority that couldn’t be farther from the truth.) I don’t blame parents for this misconception, and doing what they think is best for their children. I do blame people that put down other districts when they haven’t considered the factors that these test and even athletic results come out the way they do. Plain and simple the economic factors and open enrollment in this matter skews the playing field and gives some districts a huge advantage by disctminating certain students because they can do nothing for your district. This is what is truly sad, as we should all be asking what the district could be doing to help these children.

I will put Portsmouth top 25% of our kids against anyone as we have consistently had this segment of students score high on standardized testing, as well as scoring high on ACT and SATs. Portsmouth also offers duel credit courses, allowing students to earn college credit at the high school, without going to SSU for post secondary, or taking an Advanced placement course and test.

This is the most accurate thing I've ever seen on this website. Thank you Trojan_FB_Alum.

[Prime Time]

Just read this, very interesting numbers. Those numbers paint a bleak picture for Portsmouth. and all area schools in Southern Ohio.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

I disagree that the picture is bleak, we know what we’re up against, we just have to be willing to work against it. As I said take a look at our top 25 percent of kids, they succeed and at a very high level. Portsmouth has a system in place to help a student succed but that student has to want to succeed. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. It is just harder for some of our kids to succeed because of their personal situations, that would be true for them in whatever district they were in.

[Prime Time]

So what about the other 75 percent. So say Wheelersburg what is there top 90 percent. So there you have it in a nutshell. If people would live and work in the community’s they are from a lot of this would level out in big picture.

[Prime Time]

I still say Southern Ohio is overall in a bleak area but a few spots isn’t and these numbers back that up.