District to pilot ‘D team’ middle-school athletic access; board and public raise logistics, equity and cost questions

Superintendent Dr. Ross described a two‑phase plan to expand school-run extracurriculars for younger students, starting with an athletic “phase 1” aimed at creating D teams (developmental teams) for fifth and sixth graders and later expanding arts and other offerings.

Dr. Ross said the district wants to give transient students more connection opportunities and that the D‑team initiative is intended to “get those students in the purple involved,” referring to a slide showing students not currently engaged in school athletics or extracurriculars. He said the plan would start with basketball and could expand to other sports and arts in a later phase.

Board members asked how fifth graders would access middle‑school facilities (transportation options could include parent drop‑off or district-provided transportation), whether there would be a D team for every sport (planning will start with basketball and be reevaluated) and how the program would be funded. Dr. Ross said stipends and supplements to support elementary leads and middle‑school coaches are included in the proposed budget and that field construction would follow through capital requests.

Public comment: Frank Gucciano, a member of the public, told the board he supports expanding opportunities for younger students but urged the district to prioritize missing seventh‑ and eighth‑grade teams before creating broader fifth and sixth grade offerings. Gucciano said younger students should not be required to compete regularly against high‑school freshmen and sophomores and suggested the district add full middle‑school teams at certain campuses first.

Key operational details discussed

- Initial focus: basketball; plan to create intramural leagues across five middle schools and possibly play ICRC (Irmo-Chapin Recreation Commission) teams as the program grows. - Transportation: district would either provide transportation or expect parent transport; details to be worked out. - Funding: stipends for elementary and middle‑school leads are being proposed in the operating budget; capital funding for fields would come through the capital request process. - Eligibility and academics: board members raised the option of study-hall or limited game eligibility for students who do not meet academic criteria; no final eligibility policy was adopted at the meeting. - Equity/access concerns: board members asked whether using ICRC facilities and scholarships could be more cost‑effective than building and maintaining district fields.

Why this matters

District leaders framed the program as part of a broader strategy to increase students’ sense of belonging and academic readiness by improving middle‑school connections during transition years (third, sixth, eighth and ninth grades were singled out). The plan has budget and facilities implications and raises questions about where students play, who pays travel costs and how the program will be structured to avoid excluding students.

Next steps

Superintendent Ross said the district will bring more information and a discussion item later this summer, including budget specifics, schedules, and possible partnerships with ICRC. The board did not vote on the D‑team concept at the meeting.