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Why doesn't public schools flip the script on the Private ones

sammyk

Well-Known Member
Oct 26, 2001
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and recruit private school kids? I would do that in a hurry , in fact I tried to schedule the big Catholic school here in Raleigh just for that reason. Start picking off players
 
Sammy, I have often wondered the same, especially lately. Maybe part of the reason is the public schools are regulated closer. For example, transfer rules are more heavily enforced in District 7 (WPIAL) compared to District 12 (PPL and PCL). Another reason could be a lot of the public school coaches have come up in the public school system and coached there for awhile, so they may look at it as a “no-no.” However, I think it’s only a matter of time before an ambitious coach gets to a big public school and starts recruiting heavily and challenging the privates.

To be clear, I am just guessing. I’d love to hear others opinions because it is certainly happening in other states.
 
It’s against the rules; ethics.

Ironic, eh?

lots of great public schools in upper Bucks and Montco that consistently outperform Catholics academically, city schools a whole other consideration as they are failing miserably on almost all fronts.

It’s a bit perplexing if you are set to go to a good suburban public school, understandable if you live in a crappy SD.

It all shakes out anyways many years later. If you’re a good student or athlete you’ll get your opportunities. Schools never make or break a person.
 
In NC there is no rule for recruiting a Private school player even the ones who are associated with the NCHSAA. In this day and age either you complain about the schools who recruit kids(Public or Private ) or you change your practice to challenge them. I care about my kids and coaches first but after that the only other thing they will remember is how many banners are in the gym and trophies are in the trophy case. In 20 years no one will say St. Joes Prep yea they won the state title in 2020 but they recruited kids, no they will say St. Joes Prep state champs 2020. As Al Pacino said in Scarface I think SEPA is a Big pu**y waiting to be fu**ed. You are right get the right coach up there who does not care what people say and just worries about winning and goes after the PCL then the dynamic will change
 
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It’s against the rules; ethics.

Ironic, eh?

lots of great public schools in upper Bucks and Montco that consistently outperform Catholics academically, city schools a whole other consideration as they are failing miserably on almost all fronts.

It’s a bit perplexing if you are set to go to a good suburban public school, understandable if you live in a crappy SD.

It all shakes out anyways many years later. If you’re a good student or athlete you’ll get your opportunities. Schools never make or break a person.
I agree that schools alone don't make or break a person but they can play a big role in doing either. Leave sports out it completely for a moment and I think we can all think of people whose lives were greatly affected by the schools they attended--for better or worse. Add in sports and the statement becomes truer.
 
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It’s against the rules; ethics.

Ironic, eh?

lots of great public schools in upper Bucks and Montco that consistently outperform Catholics academically, city schools a whole other consideration as they are failing miserably on almost all fronts.

It’s a bit perplexing if you are set to go to a good suburban public school, understandable if you live in a crappy SD.

It all shakes out anyways many years later. If you’re a good student or athlete you’ll get your opportunities. Schools never make or break a person.
I can't count the number of times that I've had this conversation (argument) with someone who's explaining to me why their child is leaving the Central Bucks SD for one of the privates... they list all the great things about the academics that they learned about in their tour and in the brochures, and they seem genuinely shocked when I repeatedly tell them that CBSD meets or exceeds everything that they are quoting. The publics can't compete for kids when schools are openly recruiting that student, and the public school can't or won't respond. In the Doylestown area, the Interac is especially strong because they can openly recruit without worrying about the PIAA.

In terms of exposure for an athlete, I think in today's electronic age there are very few kids who fall through the cracks. If you're playing in the SOL or the ChesMont, etc... you're going to get plenty of exposure.

The reality is many suburban parents pay significant $$ for GA or SCH or LaSalle only to find out that it wasn't a ticket to Harvard or Princeton, and that they don't have athletic or academic outcomes that are any different than if they had stayed in their public school. That doesn't mean that those schools aren't terrific, and maybe a better choice for certain kids or families, but simply that those in many Philly suburbs are lucky enough to have equally great choices for free.
 
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Bucks, I agree with that. Let’s say in theory, a Neshaminy or Pennridge started to recruit heavily. They were able to keep all their local kids and bring in a handful of “out of district” kids. Is it even feasible to get kids to move in or get them addresses in the District? Would this put them over the top in District 1?

I remember North Penn getting a few somewhat high profile transfers a few years ago. I don’t remember the backstory for each kid.
 
Bucks, I agree with that. Let’s say in theory, a Neshaminy or Pennridge started to recruit heavily. They were able to keep all their local kids and bring in a handful of “out of district” kids. Is it even feasible to get kids to move in or get them addresses in the District? Would this put them over the top in District 1?

I remember North Penn getting a few somewhat high profile transfers a few years ago. I don’t remember the backstory for each kid.
That's certainly part of the problem, it's one thing to get kids to stay at home, it's entirely different when they have to move. Real estate is crazy right now in Central Bucks, a little bit less so in neighboring areas. That's a big commitment by a family to make a move for football. I believe that Udinski purchased a small house or condo when his son transferred from West to North Penn, but I'm not positive about the others.

Pennridge seems to have deep talent every year, maybe an additional stud or two could be what they need... or the fact that they have a system now that more fits their talent could do the trick. Last year with the modified playoffs was their year to get a title, bad luck running into Souderton who is the one team in the mix that knew well how to defend them.
 
Oh my listening to you guys talk my coaches would be like blood in the water baby lets get these kids
 
I wonder what the level of difficulty would be in getting kids addresses in a public school district without actually moving. For example, a relative, teammate, etc.
 
I wonder what the level of difficulty would be in getting kids addresses in a public school district without actually moving. For example, a relative, teammate, etc.
That's going on the assumption that it would be new to the Public schools! Are you kidding?? It is nothing new for the Pubs to do that. Been doing it for years. Shariff Floyd ring any bells?? Berwick won championships doing that.
 
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That's going on the assumption that it would be new to the Public schools! Are you kidding?? It is nothing new for the Pubs to do that. Been doing it for years. Shariff Floyd ring any bells?? Berwick won championships doing that.
Didn’t Floyd play at Washington? I thought the public’s in the city were open, no?

Anyhow, where is that happening in the burbs in SEPA? Last 10 years?

it must be kept on the LD because I haven’t heard or read of it. Maybe I’m just old and ill informed…
 
Didn’t Floyd play at Washington? I thought the public’s in the city were open, no?

Anyhow, where is that happening in the burbs in SEPA? Last 10 years?

it must be kept on the LD because I haven’t heard or read of it. Maybe I’m just old and ill informed…
City schools are not open. Floyd did play at Washington but was not from that area, section, whatever. He lived with a relative who was in Washington's zone.
 
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Didn’t Floyd play at Washington? I thought the public’s in the city were open, no?

Anyhow, where is that happening in the burbs in SEPA? Last 10 years?

it must be kept on the LD because I haven’t heard or read of it. Maybe I’m just old and ill informed…
Floyd did play for Washington but he wasn't from Washington's zone or area. He lived with a relative. Not saying it's an everyday occurence but it is nothing new for the Public schools.
 
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I’m not saying it has never happened. I just don’t know of it being rampant anytime recently in District 1.
 
I wonder what the level of difficulty would be in getting kids addresses in a public school district without actually moving. For example, a relative, teammate, etc.

I’m not saying it has never happened. I just don’t know of it being rampant anytime recently in District 1.
I don't think it is... in terms of movement - the Delgado brothers have bounced around between Wood and Tennent a few times, O'Sullivan left Hatboro for Upper Dublin (they moved there), McFadden from LaSalle to West, and there was an East player who left for Wood 2-3 years ago... but in the SOL generally you don't see a lot of movement.
 
You do not need to buy, just rent. Show either a copy of a lease or a utility bill in the name of either parent and you are free to enroll. The public school has to take you. Now, once you are in, it would be up to the district and/or original school to contest or refuse to sign off on the transfer. Rent in Ridley for a year is most likely cheaper than tuition at Malvern or lasalle for a year.

Another old school way is to have a kid move into a home in the district of an avid football supporter and have those parents approved as guardians. As long as both parents sign off on it, the guardian process is a pretty simple process. So then the kid is living with his legal guardian who is a resident of the school district.

Or have your school approved for A Better Chance program ( Usually referred to as ABC Program). They place kids from low income or poor education school and into the home of a sponsor or group home in the school district under the guise of giving the kid literally a better chance. Its often not a coincidence that many of the kids in the program are athletes. Strath Haven and Lower Merion once had thriving ABC programs, but I do not hear too much about them now.

Lastly, a public school can be approved or designated a " tuition school" and legally take kids in from other school districts-almost like a charter school. All the kid has to do is pay the average real estate tax bill as tuition and he can enroll. The " tuition" is paid for by a sponsor or booster.

You get one kid each year in each category and that can change the whole make up of a football team. For basketball, sometimes it just 1 -2 kids and you are set.
 
You do not need to buy, just rent. Show either a copy of a lease or a utility bill in the name of either parent and you are free to enroll. The public school has to take you. Now, once you are in, it would be up to the district and/or original school to contest or refuse to sign off on the transfer. Rent in Ridley for a year is most likely cheaper than tuition at Malvern or lasalle for a year.

Another old school way is to have a kid move into a home in the district of an avid football supporter and have those parents approved as guardians. As long as both parents sign off on it, the guardian process is a pretty simple process. So then the kid is living with his legal guardian who is a resident of the school district.

Or have your school approved for A Better Chance program ( Usually referred to as ABC Program). They place kids from low income or poor education school and into the home of a sponsor or group home in the school district under the guise of giving the kid literally a better chance. Its often not a coincidence that many of the kids in the program are athletes. Strath Haven and Lower Merion once had thriving ABC programs, but I do not hear too much about them now.

Lastly, a public school can be approved or designated a " tuition school" and legally take kids in from other school districts-almost like a charter school. All the kid has to do is pay the average real estate tax bill as tuition and he can enroll. The " tuition" is paid for by a sponsor or booster.

You get one kid each year in each category and that can change the whole make up of a football team. For basketball, sometimes it just 1 -2 kids and you are set.
Of basketball, Plymouth Whitemarsh took two transfers from La Salle a few years back and won a State title. It happens!
 
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You do not need to buy, just rent. Show either a copy of a lease or a utility bill in the name of either parent and you are free to enroll. The public school has to take you. Now, once you are in, it would be up to the district and/or original school to contest or refuse to sign off on the transfer. Rent in Ridley for a year is most likely cheaper than tuition at Malvern or lasalle for a year.

Another old school way is to have a kid move into a home in the district of an avid football supporter and have those parents approved as guardians. As long as both parents sign off on it, the guardian process is a pretty simple process. So then the kid is living with his legal guardian who is a resident of the school district.

Or have your school approved for A Better Chance program ( Usually referred to as ABC Program). They place kids from low income or poor education school and into the home of a sponsor or group home in the school district under the guise of giving the kid literally a better chance. Its often not a coincidence that many of the kids in the program are athletes. Strath Haven and Lower Merion once had thriving ABC programs, but I do not hear too much about them now.

Lastly, a public school can be approved or designated a " tuition school" and legally take kids in from other school districts-almost like a charter school. All the kid has to do is pay the average real estate tax bill as tuition and he can enroll. The " tuition" is paid for by a sponsor or booster.

You get one kid each year in each category and that can change the whole make up of a football team. For basketball, sometimes it just 1 -2 kids and you are set.
I’m all for regional open enrollment - it would be a benefit on a number of levels, not the least of which is sports … as far as basketball, don’t sleep on Prep there
 
Public schools already do this. A few years back 90% of North Penn skill players were from Philadelphia.
 
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