MIDLAND, Texas — The Midland ISD board met Tuesday night for its regular school board meeting and made a decision about the athletics deal between the school district and the Young Women's Leadership Academy.
The original deal allowed YWLA student athletes to compete for their "home" school within MISD since their "choice" school, YWLA, didn't have an athletics program.
In the proposed amendment, the school district would introduce an athletics program to the all-girls school, and these athletes would have to compete at the school that they attend.
A number of students and parents weren't happy with this and had an opportunity to raise their concerns again during the meeting.
The board later decided to approve the contract amendment 6-1, and many of the questions and concerns were addressed by school leaders, like MISD executive director of athletics Blake Feldt.
"We're gonna support their athletic program. Just like we do at other schools. They're gonna be treated just like Legacy High School and Midland High School. The athletics programs that are there...we're very proud of our athletics programs at those schools as well as our junior highs, and we're gonna do the same thing for YWLA," Feldt said.
Feldt presented an action plan at Tuesday's meeting, outlining the next year and the expectations for how this athletics program will grow.
In the fall of 2023, YWLA will build participation for cross country, volleyball, and basketball. The estimate, right now, shows the school is aiming to play at the 3A level. This spring, district alignments will be announced. Plus, MISD and YWLA will finalize an athletics budget and action steps for implementation. The 2024-2025 school year is when the YWLA athletics department is expected to be launched. This means the school will begin UIL competition in swimming, tennis, and cross country. Volleyball and Basketball will play a schedule for middle school and high school to build skill, interest, and whether or not these sports are ready to be entered into UIL competition.
This amendment was proposed since the current deal wasn't build for longtime success. The expectation for this new plan is for YWLA to grow as a school and give its students more opportunities, providing a better overall experience.
The school district explained that it expects athletic participation to increase from 3% to 23% under these new rules.
YWLA student athletes affected by this decision will now have to make a decision. They can stay at their YWLA and compete in a new district or enroll in another MISD to compete at a higher level.