CPS almost sabotages Juarez water polo team, moving 'home' game to Mather High School at the last minute... CPS administration continues to fail to repair the swimming pool at Juarez High School...
In a shocking display of what many considered "coordinated privilege", the Juarez High School pool and water polo team, is apparently being sabotaged during the most important part of the sports season. As the season moves towards its close, the Juarez High School pool has suddenly been closed.
Final score showed that Juarez's water polo team defeaed Mather HS on April 25, 2016. Substance photo by Emi Yamamoto.In a report from Juarez HS water polo players John K. Kugler and James Kugler there was no notice of the pool’s closure for Mondays’ (4/25/160) home game at Juarez HS against Mather HS.
The Juarez team was forced to travel without notice to the north side of Chicago during rush hour traffic, almost forfeiting the game. The distance is 16 miles between schools that are in different parts of the city. The players reported that the pool has been broken since before Spring break, but that the coach or players were not given notice of the broken pool until after school on Monday, April 25, hours before the game against Mather HS.
The Juarez High School team is one of the top ten water polo teams in Chicago Public schools. Throughout this season, Jaurez water polo has been challenging the best teams in CPS. Yet in the final week of games and prior to the start of the post-season for water polo, the pool at Juarez High has gone unfixed for two weeks, including the spring break week. Players report that the school and maintenance were aware of the problems with the pool, but did not fix the the pool -- nor did the school give any information to players and parents of the problems with the pool.
Students report that this is the second year in a row that the pool at Juarez was “broken” during important parts of the season. CPS sports administration was contacted for a full report on the situation with pool.
CPS Sports administration was also asked why the pool was not fixed over spring break. Why there was notice to parents, or players of the broken pool until the last minute? Where will the Juarez water polo players now practice of the post- season? Why a minority school (95% Hispanic) does not get the repair services as does a Whitney Young HS or Curie HS who are the top two water polo teams in CPS? Why a minority school is denied equal access and opportunity to resources and facilities? Why does any high school in Chicago have a broken pool during the school year and sports season?
At the time of this report there were no responses from CPS Sports administration.
Juarez Water Polo despite the sabotage still won against Mather HS by a blowout, 17 -8.
[In full disclosure this reporter is the parent of two students that attend Juarez High School and play on the water polo team. I do have first hand evidence of the disparate practices of the board of education and how they allocate resources to maintain the facilities at Juarez High School.]
