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Palm Beach County student-athletes, parents to school district: 'Let us play'

FHSAA allows fall sports to begin this week, but School District of Palm Beach County isn't ready to play ball
Parents and student-athletes hold signs in protest of sports not being played
Posted at 9:49 PM, Aug 27, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-27 21:49:55-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — With the first day of school inching closer for Palm Beach County students, many parents are asking for sports to return as well.

Now they're taking their concerns to the School District of Palm Beach County before time runs out.

A group of those parents and student-athletes rallied in front of district headquarters Thursday, claiming time is running out for their kids to have complete athletic seasons, let alone academic years.

They gathered under the hashtag of #LetusplayPBC.

RELATED: Could coronavirus cause delay of game for fall sports?

Many of the parents agree with a decision made in July by the Florida High School Athletic Association to allow fall sports to begin this week.

High school parent Christine Janiszewski said Palm Beach County public school students aren't seeing any play.

"A lot of these kids, especially those (who) don't have the means for college, they're depending on scholarships," she said.

RELATED: 'We live on football' in Pahokee

Superintendent Dr. Donald Fennoy said this week that the decision to allow fall sports was made against the medical advice of the state amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Still, Fennoy said, there's no denying 70% of the talent in the top schools of the country come from the three counties that make up South Florida.

"Our goal on athletics might be to create a South Florida athletic association," Fennoy said earlier this week. "That's what we're debating now.”