Update! Parents met at Marcy open School with Trent Tucker, MPS athletic director and Dave Wicker assistant Athletic director last week. We were told that MPS is proposing a 10% district wide cut and that includes their department. What they have decided to do in that event is to allow for only 2 sports to be offered for Middle School ages students to be in available in their middle schools. Soccer, Boys and girls. All games at Blaine sports center and Boys and girls Basketball. to be in the area middle schools. The leaders were questioned at length by the 20 plus parents, administrators, coaches and students present and they have said it is a "money issue". MPS does not understand the engagement opportunities that sports gives students and all in the room understand the importance of sports to many students as well as the offering inclusion to both boys and girls as well as underserved groups. If your child wants to participate in another sport, they can try out for the high school team but are not guaranteed a spot. Unlike last year where MPS provided transportation from the middle school to high school for practices, they will no longer do that. That is up to the parents. The sports chosen were the ones that leadership thought were important and had facilities for. The group represented many Volleyball parents and teams and were simply told that volleyball is not funded. Dave Wicker explained that it takes $75,000 per (transportation, facilities, coaches and officials) sport to be funded in all 19 middle schools, less than $500,000 for the return of Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, Track in addition to the Soccer and Basketball already provided. $500,000 is nothing in relationship to the City investment in the new Billion dollar stadium! You have to ask, are our priorities in order in Minneapolis? Our Minneapolis Public Schools need to fund sports for middle School aged students! It is not acceptable that the city as well as the School Board view this as an option. Sports add value and increase engagement. Something MPS is seeing a steady decline in. CALL TO ACTION IS; Please write and or call the school board member and a Superintendent Ed Graff. Decisions by the board are final June 30, 2017. Attend the next school board meeting Tuesday June 13th and show the board your interest and consider signing up to speak at the public comment section. http://board.mpls.k12.mn.us/ If we can build a stadium to promote athletics this city and our schools can certainly fund the instruction and promotion of young student athletes as a priority. Please let your voices be heard and call your city council person as well as the school board member and let them know that it matters to you and your family what happens and what the cut in athletics means to you. Please spread the word to these new developments and the impact they will have for your family and student and ask others to take action. We have until JUNE 30, 2017.