How do you spell disappointment?
For some of Winfield’s county spelling bee competitors it’s pretty simple. No matter who correctly spells “crestfallen,” “disenchanted” or “gipped,” at next week’s countywide contest, they won’t be eligible for the next round of competition due to a decision made by principals at schools in USD 465.
“I was never told anything about it until last week,” said Sara Martin, a Lowell elementary teacher and coordinator of the school’s spelling bee for the past 24 years. “They (principals) didn’t feel like it was worth the money to join.”
Martin had the unfortunate job of informing the winners of last month’s Winfield Citywide Spelling Bee that competition at the County Spelling Bee held at Arkansas City Middle School Wednesday is the end of the road for their team.
Why?
Martin says school principals didn’t want to spend the $600 it would have cost to join a spelling bee association. The fee is the result of changes made after the competition’s regular sponsorship changed.
In the past, the state spelling bee was sponsored by the Topeka Capital-Journal. This year the newspaper decided to sponsor a bee for the 26 counties in their readership area rather than the entire state. Now there will be three regional bees in the state rather than one state bee. Winners advance to nationals.
And, with the Capital-Journal no longer footing the bill, participating schools were required to pay a $99 per school membership fee to join the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee program. School officials in Winfield decided the fee was too much money since local kids had rarely, if ever, spelled their way into the tougher competition, said Martin. Winfield has six schools in its district that would have needed to pay the fee.
“I feel like it’s sending a message that we don’t expect you to do well, so we’re not raising the bar,” she said. “We spend thousands on athletics. I just don’t understand.”
Registration fees were due in October but Scripps extended the deadline to Jan. 31 to accommodate participating schools, organizers said. Those who win at the county bee but didn’t pay the fee are automatically disqualified at future competitions. Martin said if she and other coordinators had been notified of the change in funding she’s certain other arrangements could have been made.
The decision has already had a deleterious effect on some spellers’ morale, according to Martin, who said Winfield’s second place winner declined to participate in the county bee once told the news.
Others have grappled with the idea. Winfield’s Amy Bailey said her son, Brenden, an 11-year-old sixth grader who placed fourth in the city competition, is “distraught.”
“He said ‘If I don’t get to (advance) I’m not going to go on (to the county bee),” said Bailey. “It was so sad. He was so excited about this. We kind of let him down.”
Bailey said her son later decided to compete. “He’s going to go ahead and go,” Bailey said. “He said, ‘I’ve worked hard to get here Mom, so I’m going to go.’ ”
According to Martin, Udall kids won’t move on if they win either, but Dexter, Burden and Arkansas City schools are all eligible to advance.
Marvin Estes, superintendent of Winfield schools, was uninformed about the principals’ decision when contacted Friday. With a little research Estes learned principles found the new rules – and the idea of paying for students who may not qualify for future spelling bees – “distasteful.”
“We’re not against kids having an opportunity to compete,” Estes said. “But we don’t like that they charge districts to compete.”
Estes said local officials would rather pay fees for individual winners to attend the regional bee, rather than risk wasting money. Estes added he hopes local winners aren’t too discouraged.
“I hope they will go on to win the county,” he said.
When asked if he thought officials might rethink their decision next year, Estes said, “I think that’s a good possibility.”
USD 465 spokesperson and director of curriculum, Kaylynn Smith, contributed to the decision not to pay the fee. Smith, in an email message, reiterated most of the points made by Estes.
Next week’s County Spelling Bee winner will head to a regional competition in Great Bend , according to Arkansas City Middle School reading teacher and spelling bee coordinator Jan Krisik. She said formatting for this year’s spelling bee “totally changed” after the Topeka Capital-Journal dropped funding, but her school and six others in Ark City did pay the $99 fee to join Scripps.
“If nobody wins it, we’re just out $99,” said Krisik. “I would hate to have to tell them (students) you can’t go on because we didn’t pay the fee.”
Great Bend Tribune’s Sunflower Spelling Bee will be held March 8 at Barton County Community College and will play host to 76 counties, of which Cowley County is included. The winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
Tribune publisher Mary Hoisington said she understands some school’s hesitancy to pay the fee now that funding has changed, but she has her hands full organizing schools who opted to join. Managing registration, sponsorship and logistics for the new bee has been quite a challenge, she said. Estimated cost for the bee so far is $15,000.
Hoisington says she believes the state bee was divided up because it was costing more and more money to host one large event.
Bee coordinator Martin said spelling bees provide a missing link in education, since local schools have no spelling curriculum. Most teacher time is spent focusing on math and science instruction, Martin said.
Winfield Citywide Spelling Bee winners included Kai McClure, first place, J.J. Proctor, second, Carter Humphreys, third, and Brenden Bailey, fourth. Alternates were Callie Biddle and Tabitha Slater.
