ST. MARYS - Pleasants County Schools will be allowing students to attend the girls' state basketball tournament today.
In a special meeting Wednesday morning, the Pleasants County Board of Education approved a measure to send two to three pep buses to transport 200 students to the girls' state basketball tournament in Charleston today.
The St. Marys High School girls' basketball team is scheduled to play Wheeling Central at 1 p.m. today.
Pleasants County Schools Superintendent Joseph Super said the decision to send the buses was done so the teams would maintain the support from the students they have received all year.
''We have a tremendous following for both our teams,'' he said. ''We wanted the kids to be supported in the same way they have been all year.''
School board vice president Angie Colvin said the board had approved the measure on Feb. 25 with the understanding they would do it if it didn't interfere with the regular instruction day, meaning if the game was played in the evening or on a weekend.
However, as the schedule developed it was determined the team would play at a time students were in school.
Colvin said it put the board "between a rock and a hard place.''
Ultimately, the board decided to allow the students to go for the benefit of the team.
''The team seems to play better when they have a big cheering crowd there,'' Colvin said. ''You have to have your student cheering section.
''St. Marys is very supportive of its students. The students are supportive of the students and parents are supportive of the students.''
St. Marys High School won its last state girls' basketball title in 1990.
Colvin said school officials have received few complaints about their decision, with most people understanding why they did it.
''We did it for the kids,'' she said.
