Simple Compromise Might Solve a Complicated Issue

Three years have passed, and the debate still rages: Should Orange County’s Catholic high schools be allowed to compete in public leagues?

Whichever side you’re on, the bickering has become a b-o-r-e.

Sure, it’s a complicated issue. Public schools are feel threatened by the fact that the Catholic schools--Mater Dei, Santa Margarita, Servite and Rosary--can draw students from anywhere.

But the Catholic schools plead for understanding. They say they cannot afford the increasing costs of transportation--and greatly diminished classroom time--when they bus their teams long distances to play Catholic schools outside of Orange County.

Monday’s meeting of the Southern Section releaguing committee concluded with all four Catholic schools being denied entrance to the public leagues for the 1992-94 seasons.

The four schools can appeal to the Southern Section one more time at a Feb. 20 meeting of the section’s executive committee, but Southern Section Commissioner Stan Thomas is not optimistic the issue will be settled at that time.

“We’re going to end up in court,” Thomas said gloomily. “Whoever loses will take us to court and some judge will tell us how to run our business, and life will go on.”

It’s ridiculous. This issue has been analyzed and debated to death. The court system has enough to do without having to sort out what in essence is a petty philosophical disagreement.

Really, in times such as these, you’d think people might have a little perspective. Last time we checked, the world didn’t revolve around high school sports.

But this is Orange County.

According to Helen Upton, assistant director of the National Federation of State High School Athletic Assns. in Kansas City, Mo., the majority of the 50 state federations pit private, parochial and public schools against each other on every level of competition--preseason, regular season and postseason.

It is mostly in major metropolitan areas such as New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago, Upton says, where public and non-public schools play in separate leagues. In California, it is that way in the San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles city sections.

The Southern Section has several leagues that combine public and non-public schools. In the Baseline League, for example, Catholic schools St. Lucy’s (all girls) and Damien (all boys) compete against seven public schools.

But Orange County public school principals won’t budge.

On the record, most public school principals say the Catholic schools’ county-wide enrollment is the biggest problem. “They don’t play by the same rules, so why should we have to play them?” they say over (and over!).

Off the record, you hear talk bordering on paranoia. “They’ll steal all our athletes,” “They’ll eat us alive in league . . . “

Rosary Principal Kathryn Hennigan said that during Monday’s meeting, she looked around at the 20 or so public school principals who came to watch the proceedings and wondered, “Do all these schools really feel threatened by the four of us?”

Obviously so.

The only school that seems to have a chance in this case is Santa Margarita, which was voted down, 5-4, Monday.

Because of its location--it faces almost a two-hour drive to out-of-county Catholic schools--several public school principals have said they would consider supporting its entrance into a public league.

Others are not so understanding.

“It was their choice to put their school there,” said one public high school principal who asked not to be identified. “It’s their problem . . . now they’re trying to coerce us into solving their problems.”

Ah, such community spirit.

But you have to wonder: Has anyone considered--dare I suggest?--a compromise?

A two-year trial period? Give Mater Dei and Co. a chance to prove themselves as friendly league-mates. Put them in public leagues for the 1992-94 seasons, then re-evaluate.

And stop bickering.