KENMORE, N.Y. (WIVB)- Kenmore East will no longer be looking to the Charter School for Applied Technologies to help boost its football program. Athletic Director Brett Banker withdrew his proposal Tuesday night before the Board of Education could vote on it.
“I was shocked,” said Valdaz Williams, a parent. “You’re going to go through all of this, get our hopes up and get the rug pulled from under our feet.”
Williams said his two sons are in high school and they were among at least 40 other charter school students who hoped to play football at Kenmore East.
“I’m crushed as a parent,” said Williams. “You know the kids going to be crushed as well. It would’ve provided great opportunity for my children to not only play football but also be a part of a diverse culture, bridging the gap between neighborhoods.”
Charter School for Applied Technologies does not have a football program.
Kenmore East’s football program has struggled. The team had to forfeit a game last year because, due to injuries, they didn’t have the required 16 players. School officials said many athletes had to play both sides of the ball throughout the season, which raises safety concerns.
A Charter School for Applied Technologies spokesperson told us it shares athletic fields with Kenmore East and when they found out about the struggling football program the two schools started coming up with a solution. They worked on an agreement to allow charter school students to play for Kenmore East.
Athletic Director Brett Banker said a charter school has never merged with a Section IV football program before.
He withdrew the proposal due to legal issues.
“Honestly there are no residency requirements for the charter school so a large number of the student athletes come from the Buffalo City Schools,” said Banker.
He said there were questions over “the legality statewide and at the section level, whether or not we could use those individuals.”
Banker told News 4 district lines have just been re-drawn, which will bring more students to Kenmore East in September. They also plan to step up recruiting.
“We’re going to do the best we can to keep going,” said Pat Veltri, the head football coach and teacher at Franklin Middle School.
Veltri told News 4 he will also be transferred to teach at the high school to allow him to work more closely with the team.
“To be able to work with them, talk with them, and build better relationships,” said Veltri. “It goes a long way in terms of recruiting.”
They plan to wait a year or two to see if this plan works.
“I want to take the positive route and consider this a viable option,” said Banker. “If it doesn’t work then we have a sister school in the district we could merge with.”
He said if September comes and they are in the same situation as last year, that conversation could begin much sooner.
