In a classic case of kicking the can down the road, the PIAA board voted Friday to let individual school districts decide whether to have fall sports in their high schools this season.

These people who are given these honored positions on this board are supposed to be decision-makers and are expected, above all else, to have the best interests of students in mind in all their decision-making. But with the heat on from the COVID-19 virus and an already unpopular position statement from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office, they did the worst thing possible. They passed the decision down not up.

Have you ever watched the movie “Miracle on 34th Street” where the judge is concerned with issuing a ruling about Santa Claus that wouldn’t be popular with the voters, so he finds ways to circumvent ever stating his own true position?

Well, welcome the PIAA board to the hot seat and look at them run for cover. So while they are the official oversight board and committee for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, they have tucked their tails between their legs and hidden behind Mommy’s skirt.

For Pete’s sake, make a decision. That is what your job is as a member of this board.

So what are the school district administrators to do? The people they should be able to rely on for sound advice who aren’t tied to politics have caved. They did not have the nerve to step forward and cast a firm vote one way or the other.

So now it has been dumped upon school boards, superintendents, athletic directors and coaches. Not only is that unfair to those people; it is pitiful that the student athletes and those other students closely aligned to sports activities are left wondering why adults can’t step up.

It really comes down now to which school districts believe COVID-19 is a serious problem and which ones don’t feel it to be a threat. It is OK whichever way you feel personally, but if you have responsibility for someone else’s children then you better truly care about the decision you make.

We believe there is still too much unknown and too much risk involved. If collegiate sports, such as Big Ten and PAC-12 football, feel they have to skip this fall season and lose tens of millions of dollars, what volunteer school board is better prepared and better educated that they can say it is safe and OK for high school kids to play?

For a change this isn’t the politicians fault, unless you want to recognize that perhaps most of the board members who passed on the role they are to play were probably given the seat they hold as a payback for a donation to someone. It was supposed to just mean better seat locations and some applause at chicken dinner banquets. They never expected to make any real decisions.

We feel sorry for the people down the line that now have to decide one way or the other because they are going to make half the population of their school district angry whichever way they vote.

Our advice is this: If you have any doubts at all you should vote to keep kids safe. Maybe COVID-19 isn’t the scary monster some people think it is or could be. But what if it is?

— RV