Come out and support the Cards. Have some school spirit. Let your team know you’re behind them.

Oh, and by the way, you’re going to have to pay for that.

As the construction of the athletic facilities comes to an end, GRC is finally experiencing a revival in school spirit, but pride in the Cardinals will never meet its full potential if the school district doesn’t find a way to let all GRC students in for free.

Currently, free admission for regular season games is only permitted for students with a 3.75 GPA. They can go to the counselor and receive a white card by request.

Although many students take advantage of this and appreciate the gesture, there are many others who do not qualify but still are deserving of free admission.

In GRC’s enrollment of approximately 1,600
students, nearly 50 percent qualify for free and reduced lunch.

Obviously, there is a significant portion of the student body that cannot afford to be frivolous with money. This would include attending athletic events of which the cost adds up as one goes to more games.

If Clark County Public Schools allowed all students into games for free, more would attend to support our teams. This is what everyone wants, right?

CCPS could supplement GRC’s athletic budget to cover the average amount of revenue student admissions would generate.

Smoke Signals contacted various schools in the area and found that while no surrounding districts are directly providing free admission to students, all have come up with ways, as GRC has, to let students in free.

Bath County High School allows all students into games free through sponsorship from People’s Bank. Some schools in Fayette County allow students with good behavior to attend games free.

Other schools in surrounding counties create passes that can be bought for the school year at a reduced price.

Clark County already has shown itself innovative by waiving student fees and providing basic school supplies.

In another positive, culture-changing decision, the Board of Education voted to give GRC our total campus with
beautiful, cutting-edge athletic facilities.

Let’s go a step further and eliminate the financial burden to our students so they can support our athletic teams.

We implore CCPS to
pursue ways to give students free admission, even if it’s similar to the business
sponsorship option.

Let us be the leader among surrounding school districts in allowing all GRC students the opportunity to
attend as many games as possible.

Celebrating the opening of an incredible athletic facility with renewed school spirit is an ideal time to take action.