Antioch School Board hears Deer Valley High football coaches, students speak against accusations, approves new Math-Intensive program for Deer Valley students
By Nick Goodrich
On Wednesday night, October 28, students and coaches with the Deer Valley High School football program, turned out in force to the Antioch School Board meeting, to protest accusations made against them, involving an incident with the Pittsburg High School band, earlier in the month.
Videos were posted on social media of the football game between Deer Valley and Pittsburg on Friday, October 16th, apparently showing Deer Valley football players and coaches interrupting the Pittsburg band, as they performed their routine before the game. Later claims made by band members and parents alleged that band members were pushed, spit on, and harassed by both Deer Valley players and coaches.
However, the Deer Valley students and coaching staff said that the incident was a misunderstanding and in no way occurred as it had been portrayed on social media. The Board agreed, stating that the incident was blown out of proportion, but stood firm in the decision to place Head Coach Robert Hubbard on administrative leave pending a full investigation.
“We have to remind everyone that Coach Hubbard will have to remain on leave until the investigation is complete,” said Board President Claire Smith.
Many of the comments by students and coaches present at the meeting centered on Hubbard, who they say has had “a great impact” on students and players both on and off the field, and who also teaches a special needs class at Deer Valley. He has served as the DVHS football program’s head coach since July of this year, following the departure of previous coach Richard Woods.
During the meeting, the Board also voted 3-0 to approve a new math intensive tutoring program for Deer Valley students, developed by Antioch residents John Crowder and Angel Luevano. The program, which will be available after school for three hours every school day, places a special emphasis on students struggling in their current Algebra 1 classes.
Students in the program will work with tutors on their current class work, while also catching up with work they have learned in the past but may have forgotten. Testing will occur at each students’ entry to determine which skills need to be worked on with each individual, and will continue throughout the program. Once a student is deemed through testing to have sufficient knowledge of the subjects being learned in class, he or she will graduate the program, opening up the spot for another student to be brought on board. As many as twenty-four students at a time can participate. The Board members said they excited to vote the program in, and expects to see positive results with Algebra 1 students at Deer Valley.
