Rumors have once again shaken up the students in the Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS). There had been talk that future freshmen would not be able to participate in Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS) sports. That rumor has been proven to be false.
  Sports have always been one of the main concerns for students, and in the summer of 2009, a contract was settled between DPMHS and Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS) with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) that would settle this sports issue.
“When we read our charter petition and the magnet decided to separate, Mr. Cortines made it very clear that we had to write into our charter petition that all students from the magnet may be offered sports on our teams,” said BCCHS’s Principal Marsha Coates.
The charter petition is the contract between BCCHS and LAUSD, which is good for five years. That means that any student from any grade may be able to play sports on a BCCHS team. Once the five years are over and the petition expires, BCCHS may go back to make changes to their petition, or if they wish, write a new petition.
“We cannot make any big changes to our petition without going back to the district and having them reapprove it. As long as we don’t do that, it’s good for five years. But we are not planning to go to the district unless something really crazy occurred,” said Mrs. Coates.  “In five years when we renew our petition we can say ‘okay, the magnet [students] are not going to play sports anymore and grandfather out the future students and grandfather in the people who are already in.”
GranfatheringDPMHS’s complete separation from BCCHS maybe be possible in the far future. With so many possibilities, as of now, that future is still very much uncertain.
DPMHS’s Principal Janet Kiddoo has also thought about the future of magnet sports.
“I really do not like the thought of not having any sports at all,” Kiddoo said. “I also would not be making that decision alone. I would like for everyone to be part of it. However, I think the the school (DPMHS) is going to grow and develop its own spirit. It (separation from BCCHS) will be a natural separation in the future.”
She assures that if there ever was a complete seperation, and students  felt strongly about playing sports, an alternative would definitely be sought after.  
 As of now, and the next five years, it seems that DPMHS has the best of both worlds.        Freshman Tyler Cure who plays football seems to agree. “I like having a small section for learning in school rather than a really big campus. However, I would not be able to live without playing football,” Cure said.
Both principals agree that five years is a long time from now, and they do not know what will eventually happen. Student athletes can sleep in peace for now.