LEWISTON – School Committee member John Butler asked the panel Monday night to ease the high school’s new athletic eligibility standards for some athletes because he’s concerned it is too tough.

The committee voted 8-1 not to do that after testimony from parents, teachers and administrators.

Several parents said the new policy was tough, and while students need to be held accountable, so do teachers. Parent Nikki McLellan complained that when their students asked what their grade average was, some teachers failed to provide that information.

Committee Chairman Thomas Shannon asked for a report on that, saying teachers not getting back to parents and students is unacceptable.

Teachers and administrators defended the current policy, saying the higher standards are prompting more classroom success.

At issue was the new academic eligibility policy that began this fall for athletes and others activities including debate, drama and math. To be eligible, students need to pass six courses.

The old policy gave students multiple dates where they received time to bring up their grades. The new policy gives one mid-quarter date. If students aren’t passing on that date, they can’t play.

Butler said many of the students cut were black or English language learners. Some were “academically challenged,” he said. The new eligibility policy “is too restrictive.”

To help them have success, he proposed students who play “non-cut” sports, or teams where everyone who tries out makes the team, be allowed to have an extra chance to bring up their grades. The “non-cut” coaches would have to agree to that, Butler said. The change would allow some “to have a second chance.” If the change helped one student, it’s worth doing, Butler said.

But Lewiston High Principal Gus LeBlanc and other administrators spoke against the proposal.

In his second year as principal, LeBlanc said when he first began he had four concerns: student academic expectations were too low, the attendance policy was too lax, there weren’t enough behavioral expectations, and the athletic academic eligibility was too easy.

“The policy had so many loopholes and ways to sidestep the system that students were remaining academically eligible even though” they failed classes, LeBlanc said. He talked about four athletes who every fall passed no courses, but when it came time for their winter sport they’d become eligible so they could play. Under the new policy, they’ve passed all their courses “because they knew it was an expectation,” LeBlanc said.

He pointed to data that showed in the fall of 2006 athletes failed a total of 164 courses under the old policy. This fall under the new, there were 73 failed courses. At the Jan. 11 midquarter eligibility date, 25 students were ineligible, compared to 42 one year before.

The majority of students who fail chose to fail, LeBlanc said. “They don’t do their work. They take zeroes. They don’t take the opportunity to do makeup work.”

Athletic Director Jason Fuller said he had “major issues” with creating different rules for “cut” and “non-cut” sports.

Teacher and soccer coach Michael McGraw said students “are going to test the system,” and knew how to keep playing even when they failed. This year, students know if they don’t made the grade, they’ll have to turn in their uniform. “What I love about this is expected progress toward graduation.”

But parent Jean Ropella said there are problems with the current policy. Her son is ineligible “because he chose not to do homework,” and they’re not appealing. She has issues when teachers play by different rules.

“One teacher will allow extra credit. Another will say ‘absolutely not.’ You cannot say a kid can go up to a teacher and what can I do for extra credit. Some do not allow it,” Ropella said.

Jim Ropella said teachers need to provide grade average to students and parents when asked. Some don’t get back to students or parents. “Some teachers don’t give a damn,” Ropella said.

Mark Labonte said he and his son thought he was passing, but found out he was not on Jan. 11. Before that date he kept asking his teacher, “‘What’s my grade?’ The teacher said, ‘I don’t know.’ … Now he’s off the team and is devastated.”

Teacher Bernard Fortier said many teachers do care. Some, himself included, have been “burned by athletes over and over” who pleaded for time then didn’t do the work. He said the existing policy needs to stay. Schools are shortchanging students if they don’t do their work and “don’t learn there are real consequences.”