In the face of escalating community violence and threats, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) has decided to alter the football schedules for six games this week. As reported by Fox19, these changes ensure the safety and well-being of students, staff, and event attendees.
With varied degrees of changes, the district has shifted game times entirely to earlier slots or different days. According to WLWT, Bellevue Athletic Director Jim Hicks expressed understanding of the district's decision, emphasizing that "Student athletes, safety, coaches safety and the family safety is always going to come first."
Amid these adjustments, CPS Athletic Director Josh Hardin has communicated that he expects these changes to influence the remainder of the high school football season, aiming for games to end before dusk. WCPO was told, “We really wanted to do what was best and safest for our student-athletes, our parents, our school community, and still give our kids the opportunity to participate in the games," said Hardin.
The alterations include major schedule switches, such as the Aiken vs. Woodward game moving from Friday evening to Saturday morning and the Hughes vs. Western Hills game shifting from Stargel Stadium to Withrow. These changes have been mirrored across affected fixtures, "It's still daylight so hopefully people aren't dumb enough to do knucklehead stuff in the daylight, but who knows," said Jim Engle via WCPO, a former CPS teacher and track coach. But Hardin also indicated the focus is currently on football, with uncertainty lingering over whether other sports will be similarly affected when their seasons commence.
Gun violence has not only prompted changes in game schedules but has also led to intense discussions about youth-related crimes in the area. Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge made an unannounced visit to a CPS board meeting seeking more support in tackling the issue, and the Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kobler highlighted that addressing these concerns will require a joint effort.
Although the CPS's response regarding rescheduling has been prompt, it remains apparent that the underlying issues of community violence that necessitated the changes must be addressed to restore normalcy and security to school-sponsored activities and beyond.
