While the Kentucky Board of Education did meet on Friday to discuss athletics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the purpose was not to overturn the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s (KHSAA) decision to proceed with fall sports.
This comes after the Kentucky Department of Education received thousands of emails and phone calls after the topic of fall athletics appeared on the agenda for last week’s special-called KBE meeting. Supporters of the “Let Them Play” movement, which promoted a rally last week outside the state capitol in Frankfort, took to social media to voice their concerns over the special-called meeting.
However, in an interview with Kentucky Teacher, KBE chair Lu Young emphasized that banning fall sports was never the KBE’s intention.
“We are not here to overturn the decision of the [KHSAA] Board of Control… Given the KBE’s duty to oversee the common schools, including interscholastic athletics, I felt it was only reasonable for the KBE to review the recent decision of the KHSAA Board of Control,” she added. “As such, I called this special meeting … for KBE members to receive accurate information related to the Board of Control decision, hear the concerns of district leaders and be educated on the medical science pertinent to this issue.”
Instead, the four-hour meeting resulted in a unanimous decision by the KBE to send the KHSAA Board of Control a letter asking them to provide additional guidance and clarification to school districts on fall sports. The letter will be available to the public once it has been sent.
Per the KHSAA Board of Control’s decision, fall sports games remain permitted to start on September 7th.