The decision to cancel a

September band competition drew questions from two concerned board members and some students at Thursday evening's Ironton Board of Education meeting.

Board member Kathy McGinnis asked High School Principal Dean Nance who made the decision to cancel the Sept. 28 annual competition, and why.

"I got phone calls about this," McGinnis said. "There were hurt feelings."

Nance answered that he made the decision, but knowing what he knows now, he may have made a different call.

"I have learned more than I ever knew about rescheduling a band competition," Nance said.

Nance said he decided to cancel the Saturday event because of weather reports that tropical Storm Isadore would bring heavy rain, lightning and dangerous wind to this area that weekend.

Because of the weather forecasts, the Ironton-Ashland home football game was rescheduled for Saturday night, and the playing field was covered with tarp to protect it from the weather.

Nance said when he discussed the situation with band director Bill Rath he was told rescheduling a band competition would be difficult and suggested moving the competition to the Middle School field. But the heavy rains forced school officials to scrap that idea as well.

"Mr. Rath called me around 10 a.m. (Thursday, Sept. 26) and said he was in the middle of the middle school field and water was already standing. He also told me the OMBA had told him the competition couldn't be moved there since there was not a press box," Nance said.

Nance said with time running out, he decided Thursday to cancel the band event. By canceling early, the school could save the $1,200 that would have been paid to judges.

Nance said it would also have saved the band members from competing in their own event, going to another band competition in Portsmouth in the afternoon, and then coming back to play for the football game that evening.

Since then, Rath has had trouble rescheduling the competition.

"In order to prevent this from occurring in the future," Nance said, "Mr. (Terry) Parker (athletic director) has shared with Mr. Rath away football dates for the next two years. Mr. Rath will have ample opportunity to reschedule and competitions on these dates, preventing conflicts if games are postponed."

McGinnis and board member Robert Pleasant expressed concern that the band relies heavily on this competition for points to apply toward state competition, and for financial support.

"This is a major fund-raiser for the band,"Pleasant asked. "How much money was lost due to this?"

"As a member of the band boosters they lost the money they would have earned on admissions, programs and refreshments.. Our president said they lost between $5,000 and $7,000,"McGinnis said.

"Could we have rescheduled the football game?"Pleasant asked.

"I wasn't trying to make a difference between the kids,"Nance contended.

"I think everyone acted in good faith,"board member Steve Harvey said. "And it isn't often we have a hurricane come through."

But marching band field commander Andrew Cronacher had his doubts. He said he thought the field was covered with tarp to protect the football players, not to protect the field.

"If the football game can be rescheduled for Saturday night and played on the field, why not have the band competition on the field?"Cronacher asked.