BY MATT LINDSEY

North Country This Week

CANTON -- The future of Canton Central’s 2020-21 boys’ swim season is in deep water.

The Board of Education discussed whether or not to allow the swim team to begin practice and compete with other local teams. Swimming is the only sport the school is able to offer due to COVID-19 restrictions the state has imposed.

Board members were concerned about the health and safety of students, financial concerns over hiring a cleaner needed to sanitize the pool area and the equity in which athletes have options for programming, versus artists and musicians.

Scott Sanderson, CCS director of operations, said he would need to hire a full-time temporary worker to keep the pool area clean and sanitized. Canton Central laid off two workers to begin the year in an effort to save money.

“I don’t mean to sound like the business manager, but I guess that’s my role,” said CCS Business Manager Denise Folsom. “We eliminated two cleaning positions for a reason at the beginning of the year. It seems like to bring these positions back, it's counterproductive of what we’re trying to do. We all know what our fiscal situation is.”

Keeping classrooms and other high-touch areas remains the focus of CCS cleaners.

“We are maintaining, we haven’t dropped the ball,” Sanderson said of his staff’s ability to keep up with state cleaning standards. He did not want the additional cleaning responsibility of the pool to take away from the sanitation efforts in classrooms, bathrooms and elsewhere.

Sanderson said the process is time consuming because they are spraying, as well as wiping down to prevent buildup of chemicals.

CCS Athletic Director Bill Porter advocated for the student athletes but recognized the seriousness of the health and safety of students and the community.

“The bigger issue from my perspective is trying to get kids doing something that’s going to occupy their minds, occupy their bodies, certainly impact them mentally,” he said. “I saw the impact with that directly this fall.”

Porter said he sanitized more than 1,500 soccer balls himself this fall and would chip in with sanitation efforts this winter at the pool.

Board Member Steve Sanderson rolled his eyes at that comment. “Mr. Porter, with a follow up, we heard the same thing about you enforcing soccer. Every time I pull into the school there’s kids out there not with masks. So I really doubt that you’re going to be in there scrubbing the (pool) benches too.”

It was later clarified by the director of operations that volunteers cannot clean the school and that the work would need to be done by a person contracted for the job.

Steve Sanderson also expressed concern over student’s carpooling to practices or meets, which defies social distancing.

So far, 8-10 boys from Potsdam, 4-5 from Canton and one from Madrid-Waddington have shown interest. Indoor track was recently canceled and athletes from that sport could decide to swim, which could increase the size of the team.

Sanderson and Board member Eileen Raymond said that offering a swim team benefitted other schools more than Canton.

“The Potsdam participation jumps right out at me,” Raymond said. “That’s a school district that has had continuing problems with infection rates. This to me just sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.”

Board member Sanderson echoed Raymond’s comments.

“Seems to be benefiting only Potsdam,” he said. He added that it was irresponsible to bring students from several schools to Canton Central’s campus and potentially expose the entire student body to COVID.

Not all Board members shared those feelings.

“We have to err on the side of caution at pointing our fingers at neighboring districts and their infection rates,” Christina Martin, Board member said. “Because tomorrow, Canton Central could be in the same exact position. These infection rates at some of these districts have nothing to do with what's happening in their school building … I feel that it’s disrespectful to that district.”

Martin did agree with other members that it would be irresponsible of the Board to hire a cleaner just for this position to benefit one small group of students. She also cited the facts of increased infection rates in the area as a driving factor to not allow a swim season right now.

AD Porter said that the swim program is new and they were still trying to build numbers. In 2019, Canton Central and Potsdam Central created a joint boys team following concerns of boys swimming on girls teams. Canton Central hosts practices because they have a pool and Potsdam Central does not.

“As a board member I feel my obligation is to all of the children, to all of the teams at Canton Central School. This just seems like a risk that does not make any sense,” Raymond said.

Some parents commented on Facebook wondering why art and music programs were not getting as much attention as sports.

Board members stated that they only discuss what is brought forward to them, but agreed that art and music are equally important.

“This Board of Education would welcome any opportunity that someone would come forward with for arts or music,” Martin said. “We just haven’t been presented with anything to discuss.”

Superintendent Burke said he wanted to find ways to get non-athlete students engaged in a safe way.

“If you look at the strength of our art and our music program, it parallels the strength of our sports program,” he said.

The earliest the boys’ swim season will begin is Jan. 4.

The CCS superintendent said, “my comfort level would be to postpone until Jan. 4. That gives us a little bit of time.”

The Board tabled a decision on hiring swim coaches and approving sports mergers, which are the first steps to allowing a swim program this season.

The next school board meeting is slated for Dec. 10.

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