The Post-Standard (Syracuse NY) - North Syracuse school budget could cut 114 positions, sports teams, programs

By Catie O'Toole, The Post-Standard

North Syracuse, NY -- The North Syracuse school district's preliminary budget calls for eliminating more than 114 positions, while increasing the tax rate by 3.3 percent in the coming school year, Superintendent Jerome Melvin announced at tonight's budget meeting.

All freshman sports teams, except for girl's volleyball and boy's football, would be cut.

An extended school day program (night school) at Cicero-North Syracuse High School, a summer job shadowing program that introduces C-NS students to careers in the medical field and a high school leadership program called Camp Oswegatchie also are among the proposed cuts.

Of the 114.5 positions that may be eliminated, 72.3 are in instruction; 3.1 are administrative; 15.5 are in special education; 22.6 are support staff; and one is an athletic trainer.

Under the instructional budget reductions, the district is proposing to eliminate 23.1 teaching positions at the elementary schools, 10.2 positions at the middle schools, 20 positions at North Syracuse Junior High School and 19 teaching positions at C-NS High School.

Other positions that may be cut include 6.6 music teachers, 5.5 special education teachers, two reading teachers and two teachers who train other teachers.

"I understand the economic realities of today, but it's a horrible thing because we're cutting into the fabric of education," said Sylvia Matousek, president of the North Syracuse Education Association.

At a meeting last month, school administrators said the $144,124,575 preliminary budget would have called for a 17.8 percent projected tax rate increase unless cuts were made because of a loss in revenue and an increase in expenditures.

The district was short $7.1 million in revenue, and its expenditures are up $5.7 million. Of that, $4 million is attributed to increased health insurance premiums and retirement system costs, Melvin said.

Teachers' retirement system rates are expected to increase by 63 percent, while employees' retirement system rates are set to jump 45 percent. Health insurance rates are projected to increase by 7.9 percent, the superintendent said.

Salaries also are up 2.3 percent, or $1,694,994, due to contractual obligations.

All of the cuts proposed tonight would save $6,430,935. The district also plans to use $2.5 million from its fund balance, $887,000 in IDEA/Title I stimulus monies and other revenues to balance the budget.

A 3.3 percent tax rate increase would result in a $66 higher tax bill on a home assessed at $100,000. Melvin said the preliminary budget does not account for an anticipated loss in county sales tax revenue totaling about $1 million, which could potentially increase the property tax rate by 4.8 percent.

School board president Pat V. Carbone asked residents to call the district clerk's office at 218-2131 to let the board know how the proposed tax rate increase would affect them.

"I really want to make sure that we do the best we possibly can for the students because next year it's going to be even worse," Carbone said. "It's not just a one-year fix."

Carbone said the federal stimulus money won't be available next year. Melvin also said the district expects to lose even more sales tax revenue next year, and the district's fund balance will have dropped significantly, to about $3 million.

"If we cut ourselves too much (in the 2010-11 budget), the fear is we won't have very much left to cut," Carbone said.

District Clerk Connie Gibson said the public will be able to speak about the budget at the next board meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. next Monday at the North Syracuse Junior High School, 5353 W. Taft Road, North Syracuse

Chicago Sun Times - It's crunch time for sports funding

By Taylor Bell

March 13, 2010 - While most suburban school districts and their extensive sports programs were feeling the economic squeeze in the last few months, the Chicago Public Schools waited for the hammer to fall. And waited. And waited.

It fell earlier this week, with a loud thud.

Calvin Davis, director of the Public League’s sports administration, said the sophomore levels of all spring sports have been cut for the immediate future with the prospect that the cuts will continue in the fall and winter sports during the 2010-11 school year.

Unable to secure necessary funding from the state, CPS had to make drastic cuts across the board. The sports program was ordered to trim $500,000. Cutting the sophomore levels in all spring sports will impact 6,000 students and force CPS to drop 300 coaches.

Other school districts are feeling the pinch, too.

Maine Township’s three high schools are cutting 75 teachers, including four head coaches at East, while a new fieldhouse on the West campus and a new fitness/weight center, new gymnasium and a newly resurfaced track at South have been put on hold. And that’s only the beginning.

‘‘This is a cloud hanging over our heads,’’ said Maine South athletic director Steve Adams. ‘‘We need more help than ever. We have survived Year 1, but there are projected deficits for the next four years. More cuts are coming.’’

Voters in New Trier’s district overwhelmingly rejected a $174 million referendum for what was described as ‘‘significant construction’’ on the East and West campuses, including a new gym and an addition to the fieldhouse.

Lincoln-Way’s ever-expanding district — a fifth high school is in the works — also is facing a financial crisis. Last year, 48 paid coaching positions were trimmed. More cutbacks are anticipated. East’s football team has 10 paid coaches and 15 volunteers.

The four schools in the Glenbard district have been hard hit, too. Funding from the state was an all-time low this year. To compensate, each school was forced to jettison a couple of coaches. There is a fear that other projects, like new turf on a soccer/lacrosse field at West, might be in danger.

At Evanston, plans to build new locker rooms and a fieldhouse for indoor track and tennis were placed on the back burner. Instead of receiving the usual $2 million in funds to support the sports program, the school got only $50,000. All budgets for supplies have been frozen.

And Elgin, one of five schools in the state’s second-largest school district, has drained its swimming pool and canceled all Saturday night events. Coaching positions in softball and baseball have been cut from five to three. To avoid overtime for custodians, some events are scheduled for late mornings so students are out of the building by 3 p.m.

Highland Park athletic director Bobbie Monroe reported a loss of $25,000 in coaching stipends and three coaches. The school also co-ops with Deerfield in boys water polo. No further reductions going into next year are anticipated.

Facing tough economic times, high schools throughout the Chicago area are attempting to cope with the challenges of trimming staff, reducing budgets, cutting levels of sports and, in some cases, whole programs.

But a survey of more than 50 schools reveals that the economic blight isn’t as serious as you might suspect. In fact, there are schools that insist they never had it so good, that what happened on Wall Street hasn’t had a negative impact on Main Street in Hinsdale or South Holland or Aurora or Flossmoor or Crete-Monee.

Even so, there is a fear of what might happen in the near future.

‘‘We are fortunate, no cutbacks,’’ Hinsdale Central athletic director Paul Moretta said. ‘‘Our district did well to plan for the downturn in the economy, a lot of good fiscal responsibility.

‘‘But budgets are coming up. The ax could fall in the next few months. We have seen incidents where kids need more help with additional equipment and can’t afford it themselves. And our support clubs aren’t getting as much money as before from families.’’

District 205, which includes Thornton, Thornridge and Thornwood, suffered severe cutbacks from 2002 to 2007 — coaching stipends, freshman levels, ‘‘B’’ teams in football and boys basketball, more than a dozen assistant coaches — but Thornwood athletic director Gary Lagesse said the programs now are at full funding, new facilities have been added and coaching stipends have been reinstated.

‘‘Give a lot of credit to [district superintendent] Kamala Buckner,’’ Lagesse said. ‘‘At one time, we were $100 million in debt. Now we’re close to being solvent. She had a vision and led us through the crisis.’’

District 214, the state’s third-largest district with six high schools, seems to be thriving, too. But Prospect athletic director Tom Martindale admits that he isn’t so optimistic about the future.

‘‘The economy will affect us more in the next couple of years,’’ Martindale said. ‘‘Once the tax assessments come out, we’ll find out the volume of money is less coming into our school district, and decisions must be made.

‘‘At this point, we have had no cutbacks in coaches or levels. We’re waiting for the ‘if’ scenario.’’

But ‘‘if’’ has already happened at Maine South, East and West, at Elgin, Bartlett, Streamwood, Larkin and South Elgin, at Glenbard West, East, South and North, at Lincoln-Way Central, East, North and West, at St. Charles East and North, at New Trier, Evanston, Deerfield, Highland Park, Lake Zurich and elsewhere.

Lane Tech athletic director Rich Rio said he ‘‘would be pleased but very surprised if all levels of sports are funded in September.’’

He fears he might have to cut freshman football or baseball and water polo, lacrosse and 16-inch softball.

‘‘September will be difficult in all school districts,’’ Rio said.

The Morning Call (Allentown PA) - Quakertown directors still struggling with budget, cuts

By Melinda Rizzo

March 13, 2010 Quakertown Community School District officials continued to consider budget cuts at their regular business meeting Thursday night, including the possibility of closing Haycock Elementary School, eliminating middle school and freshman sports and delaying renovations to the high school.

If the preliminary budget adopted Feb. 11 remains unchanged, the average tax increase would be about $137, or an extra 5.2 mills.

The current spending plan so far does not call for closing Haycock, cutting sports or delaying renovations to the high school, said Business Manager Sylvia Lenz.

''None of us wants to close Haycock or cut sports, but these costs continue to come up every year, and they have to be looked at every year,'' said school Superintendent Lisa Andrejko.

Quakertown is looking to find ways to shore up a $9.9 million revenue shortfall.

Lenz said the $137 tax increase accounts for about $4.7 million, but still leaves a $5.2 million shortfall.

''We can either make cuts, use fund balance, or increase taxes over $137,'' Lenz said.

Quakertown's fund balance [of reserves] is estimated at $9.3 million.

''The state allowance is to raise taxes by 11.5 mills because of our exceptions, or 8.9 percent,'' Lenz said. An 8.9 percent tax hike would mean an average tax increase of $303.

Lenz said an 8.9 percent increase was unlikely.

''I believe cuts will be made and fund balance will be used to minimize the impact on taxpayers,'' Lenz said.

Lenz said additional proposed cuts included postponing maintenance projects at Milford Middle School and the high school.

Lenz said class sizes could also be increased.

The real estate tax rate in Quakertown is 129 mills. Using the district's average assessment of $29,200, the average tax bill is about $3,767, . A mill is $1 on every $1,000 of a property's assessed value.

Directors were split on whether to implement a pay-to-play program for sports and extracurricular activities. Such a program could exempt economically disadvantaged children, and those exemptions would be based on the Title 1 Free and Reduced Lunch program, school officials said.

''I'm already paying for sports equipment and camps,'' said board Vice President Dean Wackerman. ''Why should the taxpayers have to foot the bill for activities after school too?''

11Alive.com - More Metro Atlanta Public Schools to Face Big Budget Cuts in 2010-2011

By Jon Shirek

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - March 12, 2010 It's late Friday afternoon, at the Gwinnett Arena: Atlanta's Benjamin E. Mays and Lithonia's Miller Grove are playing each other in the boys State AAAA High School basketball tournament.

And in the stands, mixed with the cheers, there is worry.

"Well, we're not very happy about the cutbacks."

Mary Palmer, whose son is playing for Mays, could be speaking for all the parents in the arena and across the state.

In her case she's just finding out that Atlanta's public schools are going to have to cut $47 million out of their budgets for the 2010-2011 school year.

And one way they'll do it is just pack more students into each classroom, because there's not enough money for enough teachers.

"Our classrooms are already overcrowded," Palmer says, "so now [they'll] make our classrooms even larger?"

"It's going to be very tough next year," says Georgia's School Superintendent Kathy Cox, who's at the arena to cheer the players with their parents.

Cox says that, just as Atlanta was not the first school district announcing massive, 2010-2011 budget cuts in the past month or so, Atlanta will definitely not be the last -- especially as the state and the schools spend next year's federal stimulus money this year to survive.

"A lot from Metro Atlanta," will be struggling to stay above water, she says, "but you're also going to hear from systems all over the state.... They're hurting. And they realize the stimulus came in and helped, but the cliff is coming."

She pointed out that Metro Atlanta's economy is not going to improve overnight. "We've got higher unemployment in Metro Atlanta than we do the rest of the state. That really hasn't happened in modern history," and that leads to less revenue coming in to local and state governments from sales taxes and, because of foreclosures and lower property values, it leads to less revenue coming in from property taxes.

"This is really impacting our large, metro area systems, and they're making some very tough decisions about programs."

One way that Cox and the Georgia Department of Education have tried to help -- since the state lacks enough money to bail out the local schools -- is by granting waivers to 120 school systems, so far, to free them temporarily from having to comply with various expensive state regulations.

For example, "We got a request for a waiver from Cherokee County that said, 'Can we use one principal for both our regular high school and our night school?'"

The answer: yes, for now, given the extraordinary circumstances of this recession.

But does the granting of the waivers amount to just one more way that the recession budgets can hurt quality?

Her office is monitoring the results of all of the waivers.

"We'll evaluate student achievement, see where the waivers were, that it really didn't hurt student achievement to not have to follow that rule. And that then tells us we've got a regulation we don't need."

Back on the court, Miller Grove beats Mays.

And Mary Palmer worries the state is letting the clock run out on everybody.

"I think that our legislators really need to go back and put their heads together and come up with some other ways to deal with the deficits and the budget cuts. We just need to bring more revenue in. Let's come up with a way other than [cutting] education."

______________________________

This is the press release from the Atlanta Public Schools, dated March 12, 2010, about the upcoming budget cuts:

APS is taking steps to reduce spending by $47.4 million for the 2010-2011 school year that includes increasing class size, two involuntary furlough days for all employees and a district-wide freeze on salary steps and cost of living increases.

The projected district budget for the next school year is $588.6 million, which is down $47.4 million from the FY 2009-2010 budget. Georgia school districts are required by law to have balanced budgets in place by the beginning of the new fiscal year.

APS is funded by a combination of property tax revenues and state funding for education. Over the past seven years, state funding for APS has been cut $68.3 million.

The district has made up for state education funding cuts and reductions in property tax revenues due to the economic downturn through a series of austerity measures. Department budgets are being reduced an average of 10 percent next year, and district officials anticipate using approximately $9.5 million from the unrestricted fund balance to help meet next year's budget.

"These are tight financial times for all of us," said Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall. "Belt-tightening to make ends meet is a shared responsibility at APS, and all areas of the district are being asked to use our dwindling financial resources judiciously by prioritizing spending for those areas that are associated with teaching and learning and student academic performance."

APS plans to continue its decade-long school reform initiatives despite these funding challenges, including the middle and high school transformations. There will also be no loss of instructional time for students.

The first of two scheduled community meetings on the proposed FY11 budget is 6 p.m. Thursday, April 1 at Burgess-Peterson Elementary School, 480 Clifton St., SE Atlanta, 30316. The second community meeting on the proposed budget is 6 p.m. Thursday, April 22 at Jean Childs Young Middle School, 3116 Benjamin E. Mays Dr., SW, Atlanta, 30311.

The Oakland Press (CA) - Lake Orion School District discusses budget cuts

By Monica Drake, Special to The Oakland Press

March 5, 2010 - The Lake Orion Community School district is continuing its discussion of possible budget cuts to be made in the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

“We talked previously about having a $10 million or $10 million-plus type of reduction. And, based on the items, you are not going to achieve that,” said Jillynn Keppler, assistant superintendent of administrative services. “Like we said several times, salaries and benefits have to be an area that’s looked at as a major piece of making this budget work.”

At a recent Board of Education meeting, Keppler said 85 percent of the district’s money goes to salary and benefits.

Keppler said the district’s administration plans to present a preliminary budget at the next board meeting so the district can be on target for contract-related items, such as layoffs.

She stressed that the preliminary budget will not be the final decision and that a public hearing will be in May to give the community a chance to respond.

Treasurer Jim Weidman said that the items discussed in the budget analyses are not feasible for the reduction the school district is looking at.

Weidman said if everything in the budget analyses was eliminated — like transportation, athletics, school cleaning rotation, police liaisons, elementary buildings, assistant principals, etc. — it would only amount to an $11.5 million reduction.

Many board members stated the reductions being outlined aren’t possible.

“We need the best case recommendations to impact the least and suggestions to where we go next,” said Board President Bill Walters.

A committee of 10 people, eight parents and two staff members, discussed ideas for revenue enhancement instead of only reductions.

Some of the ideas were fundraising events such as an art show or through the sale of T-shirts, selling advertising on buses and athletic fields, selling ad space on Orion’s educational channel, the school’s food service catering to local businesses, utilizing online books and selling parking spaces closest to the school.

“Parents were willing to do almost anything we needed them to do,” said Brian Kaplan, principal at Orion Oaks.

Kaplan said parents were willing to volunteer their time in order to raise additional funding for the school district.

Other areas of concern were grouped into categories and members of the district presented information to the board about areas such as the following:

Athletics

About 40 percent of students in the middle school and high school levels combined play a sport. High school students annually pay $225 to participate and middle school students pay $200. Some of the potential budget reductions are to eliminate various sports at one or both levels; eliminate practices on weekends, vacations and holidays; eliminate bus transportation; review coaches’ pay; and utilize volunteers as game workers.

Six alternatives were also discussed. The first was to have all sports operate as self-funded, which would save the district $352,944. The second was a tiered pay-to-participate fee, which may differ at varsity, junior varsity, freshmen and middle school levels, also saving $352,944.

The third alternative would be to turn over the Athletic Department operations to outside organizations, which would effectively eliminate the Athletic Department and save $829,500. A fourth alternative was to eliminate freshmen sports, saving $68,575. Eliminating junior varsity would save $95,496 and eliminating middle school sports would save the district $245,058.

“Those who participate in athletics have higher GPAs,” said William Reiss, the athletic director, in support of the Athletic Department at Lake Orion High School.

He stated that the average GPA of a high school student at Lake Orion is 3.038 and the average GPA of an athlete in the school is 3.265. Reiss also said athletes also have a better-than-average attendance, take more difficult classes, do better on skills tests, have reduced drug and alcohol use, are less likely to be obese, and have better job characteristics.

Read the entire article here

Syracuse University - Budget Cuts Mean Penny-Pinching for Sports

By Rachel Stern, DemocracyWise, S.I.Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University

February 13, 2010 - Faded uniforms. Worn-out baseball gloves. Scruffed basketballs.

For local high school athletes,those are on the trade-off lists as school officials anticipate another round of state budget cuts.

“We are going to hold on all purchases for next year,” said Richard Roy, the athletic director at Fayetteville-Manlius High School. “This will impact uniforms first because, with reduction, we must prioritize and keep the things we need for the sport to be played.”

Roy and others overseeing local high school sports are planning such drastic penny-pinching to cope with expected state budget cuts for the 2010-2011 school year. Gov. David Patterson has proposed a budget that would cut aid to school districts by 5 percent. If the state legislature approves the governor’s proposals, the Syracuse school district would see a 3.2 percent cut in funding.That would be nearly $8.4 million cut.

And that means less money for athletic departments. The latest scrimping is in addition to changes athletic departments made last year. Fewer games, less travel and a hold on equipment purchases are some of the changes already in place.

Last year at Fayetteville-Manlius, supply cuts saved $25,000 and fewer games saved $45,000, estimated athletic director Roy. At Fayetteville-Manlius, the school budget was $65 million. The athletics department got one percent of the total, amounting to $650,000, said Roy.

But every school’s budget is different, depending on size and programs available. The state budget is not yet final. The state legislature is expected to act on April 1st. In some school districts, like Liverpool, voters also must then approve the budget.

In the meantime,local school boards are crunching the numbers to devise a budget that would pass. If the board suspect voters won’t approve the budget, the schools face the prospect of more cuts.

“Then we are talking about dropping actual teams,” predicted athletic director Roy of Fayetteville-Manlius.

At other school districts throughout Onondaga County, athletic directors are putting together savings plans ranging from travel restrictions to combining teams.

At West Genesee High School, superintendent Christopher Brown has already put in place changes for next season. For example, the school’s teams won’t be traveling again to away games at Utica and Rome. Instead, Brown said, he hopes to get Utica and Rome to join the Tri-Valley League. That would put the two schools in different leagues and they would not face each other. Less travel would save transportation costs for busing the team to these locations.

At Cicero-North Syracuse High School, athletes will continue to travel, said athletic director Tom Tatham. In 2009, for example, the indoor track team and cross country team traveled to races in New York City. But teams will continue to travel outside of Section III, said Tatham, only under special circumstances.

“We will let teams travel if they pay their own way,” Tatham said. “If they go outside, the booster club must pay for it.”

While the changes frustrated athletes, said Tatham, parents understood the tradeoff. He added, “Your child may play less games, but it is a positive that taxes will be down.”

This season, Cicero-North Syracuse High School trimmed its schedules by cutting two basketball games, four baseball games, four softball games and two lacrosse games. Tatham does not foresee things improving. “It is early in the process now,” he said. “But things are going to get worse, not better.”

For Syracuse city schools, the budget process is different. But results are likely to be the same, predicted city school officials.

Chris Hodge, administrator for health, physical education and athletics for all city schools, will find out what budget gaps he faces in April when the State Legislature comes to a decision. But, unlike the other school officials, he doesn’t have to wait for a local election for voters to approve the school budget. City residents do not vote on the school budget.

Still, he’s already trimming spending. This season the number of contests were reduced, said Hodge. Some teams were combined and, Hodge said, next year will see even more consolidation.

“We already have combined swimming and wrestling,” Hodge said, “but I think we will have to combine track and tennis teams — maybe making an East Side and a West Side team.”

The city athletic directors, Hodge said, and his staff will look at participation trends, feedback from those involved and comparative interest in the sport before deciding what will be combined.

Even with the cuts, he stressed the positives of combining teams for the athletes. Said Hodge: “Kids do get to learn from and meet other kids.”

(Rachel Stern is a graduate student in magazine, newspaper and online journalism.)

From AJC - Milton High’s basketball team wins amid controversy, making two foul shots with time expired

By Mike Carvell, AJC

March 6, 2010 Milton’s Julian Royal (pictured here) made two foul shots with no time remaining in a controversial 53-52 win over Norcross in Saturday’s Class AAAAA quarterfinals at West Georgia.

Only moments earlier, Norcross thought it had pulled off the upset and celebrated wildly after the sound of the final buzzer. However, as Norcross coach Jesse McMillan started walking toward the Milton bench to shake hands, the referees huddled on the side of the court.

“There was a scramble situation around the rim, maybe we fouled them or maybe we didn’t — that’s the ref’s call,” McMillan said. “The situation was that (one) referee called a foul as the horn sounded.

“(The other two) referees had waved the ballgame off, but the other one said he had a foul. He called a hold on us.”

The officiating crew eventually ruled that Royal had been fouled while fighting for a rebound before the buzzer had sounded. The referees cleared the court because time had expired, and awarded two free throws to Royal, who calmly made both with fans from both teams screaming as loud as they could.

Even Milton coach David Boyd admitted he had never experienced an ending like that one.

“No, time had not expired (before the foul was called),” Boyd insisted, “I was battling the whole way for the foul. I saw the official call the play while there was time on the clock. That’s what I saw.”

It was a bizarre turn of emotions for Norcross, which went from big smiles and high fives to tears and hanging heads. McMillan said he trusted that the referee blew his whistle before the final buzzer, but if there was a foul, then there should’ve been time on the clock.

“I don’t think it should’ve been more than one second, but there should’ve been (something),” he said. “At least you give the kids a chance to throw it the length of the court to make a miracle shot.

“The explanation I got from the ref was ‘We don’t have replay, so there is no way to say how much time we should put on there.’ He explained it the best he could.”

Norcross forward E. Victor Nickerson made two free throws to give the Blue Devils a 51-50 lead with 10.2 seconds left. Milton rushed down the court, with Shannon Scott (committed to Ohio State) losing track of time and launching a 30-footer with about six seconds left. Milton’s Jordan Lloyd fought for the offense rebound and missed a short jumper, leading up to dramatic ending.

“I have never won a game with no time showing on the clock,” Boyd said. “I just told the team we’ll take advantage of (this game). We’re in the state semifinals … that’s about all you can say.”

From WTNH (New Haven, CT) - Branford budget cuts school sports

New budget calls for pay-to-play

By: Rebecca Santillo

Branford (WTNH) - In an effort to save about $100,000 from the school budget, the superintendent has proposed cuts to the sports programs.

Superintendent Kathleen Halligan would like to cut four sports teams at Walsh Intermediate School; boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball. The move would save about $33,000.

"It feels like they are discriminating against us, but they are really not, it's just really hard," said Max Fillion, who plays on the Walsh boys' basketball team.

Additionally, pay-to-play would be implemented at Walsh and the high school. It would cost students $100 to play a sport, but waivers would be available for low income students. Pay-to-play is estimated to save about $75,000.

Parents hope that they can work with the school board to find an alternative.

"The opportunity to sit down and discuss with this board is great and say there are alternatives. Maybe a booster club, charge two dollars at the door," said Bob Kenney of Branford.

The total proposed budget for the 2010-2011 school year is over $48 million, which is up nearly four percent.

The Life-long Impact of High School Sports

Leadership. Teamwork. Determination. That experience on the field is more valuable than you think.

By Steve Spiewak , CareerandColleges.com

When I spoke to Dave Wannstedt a few weeks ago, he mentioned how valuable high school sports were for developing people who can succeed off the field in the professional world.

There is life after high school sports. For many former athletes who know the value of dedication and teamwork, it’s often a very successful life. The LA Daily News had an interesting piece over the weekend about the lives of many different high school sports stars, and their success after athletics.

As mentioned in the article, some former California high school stars have gone on to become doctors, chiropractors, record producers, and a host of other interesting careers.

Sports journalism is also a career path for some former high school athletes. Though he’s still in high school, it looks like it could be Karl Golombisky’s ticket to success. This article talks about his transition from the basketball court to the editorial page.

As such, it saddens me when I read stories like this, talking about how there are fewer students participating in sports because of the incumbent costs associated with them. I realize there are complexities involved with school funding and budgets, but can’t there be another solution besides forcing kids to pay money they don’t have just to be involved in a sport?

Cranston school board cuts sports, jobs in $123M budget

Members of the Thunderbirds -- the district's girls cooperative hockey team, which was slated to be cut -- listen to their coach as they prepared to testify at the district's first budget public hearing on Jan. 27. The team will not be eliminated under the approved budget

By Maria Amental, The Providence Journal

CRANSTON, R.I. -- The School Committee approved Tuesday night a $123.6 million budget that strips the district of all but what's mandated by law or required by contract in all programs but music and sports, which will continue to be cut through 2014.

Gone are the K-8 enrichment program (the district's honors program); the K-6 strings, band and choral program; freshman baseball, basketball, and football; golf (co-ed); tennis (boys and girls); and indoor track (boys and girls); and the girls field hockey junior varsity team at Cranston High School East. The girls field hockey varsity team, a popular sport at Cranston East, was saved Monday night in a split vote as School Committee members said they wanted to keep the gender balance in the number of sports offered at the district's two high schools.

Voting against restoring funding for the field hockey varsity team were School Committee members Frank S. Lombardi, Paula McFarland, and Michael A. Traficante, the board's chairman.

The cuts mirror the recommendations of a court-ordered school performance audit as part of the district's May 2008 Caruolo action lawsuit.

All teams could be restored if the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Principals' Committee on Athletics approves the district's request to merge all but its top teams at both high schools. That hearing will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at the league's headquarters, Building 6 at the Rhode Island College campus, 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave. in Providence.

Also eliminated are some 18 full-time positions, including two music teachers, two special education teachers, the five technical assistants at the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center and another at Cranston High School East.

The vote followed about 3 1/2 hours of discussion as members sought to close a projected loss in state aid of $1.26 million under Governor Carcieri's budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1. District officials had closed it by $756,822. That along with an increase of federal funds for education stabilization left the district with a projected budget hole of $476,149.

To close that budget hole, Supt. Peter L. Nero at one point offered laying off two additional music teachers, which would eliminate the strings, band and choral program at the middle school.

The School Committee rejected that cut on a 4-to-3 vote. Voting against the cut were Stephanie Culhane, Paula McFarland, Janice Ruggieri, and Steven A. Stycos.

The budget proposal now heads to Mayor Allan W. Fung, who must present his proposal to the City Council by April 1.

Committee members said they will amend their budget after the council sets the city budget -- which includes municipal and school spending -- to reflect any necessary changes.

Any of the programs cut, they said, could be spared if additional funds are raised; but, in the case of sports, that would have to be done by April as the latest.

"I will have the fall schedules on my desk on May 1," said Michael C. Traficante, the district's athletics director.

"Just don't think we can go about it at our leisurely pace," he said.

Extra: A copy of the budget proposal, the superintendent's PowerPoint presentation, and the court-ordered performance audit can be accessed on the district's Web site.

Virginia Governor Proposes Elimination Of Pay To HS Coaches

By Dallas Jackson, Rivals High Senior Analyst

Recently elected Virginia governor Bob McDonnell on Thursday proposed numerous cuts to state education - including the elimination of pay to high school coaches.

McDonnell said it's part of his plan to balance the budget in his state.

But one coach, Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale head football coach Vic Williams (pictured here), says the governor is off the mark.

"His statement, however na? he may be, is false," Williams said.

At least in Chesterfield County, where Williams says the government does not have money earmarked for athletics.

"I spoke to a member of our general assembly who told me the governor spoke out of turn," Williams said. "He expects that the language will be changed in the proposal."

McDonnell, elected last November while making a pledge to not raise taxes, has spent much of his first few months in office meeting with top leaders in the Virginia House and Senate over the state's financial problems. His announcement detailed how he proposes to balance the budget in the state, which he says is expected to have a $4 billion revenue shortfall through 2012.

The cuts, he said, were not easy.

"All of them were difficult because I know that behind every cut there is a Virginian - somebody in this room or somebody out of the 7.8 million people we have - that might be affected by that," he said.

The proposal of cutting the pay for high school coaches is the latest way budget woes are impacting high school sports across the country.

Some areas are cutting sports - or reducing the number of teams it has in each sport, such as dropping freshman programs. Others are considering pay-to-play rules where parents would need to pick up some or all of the costs of operating the teams.

"I don't think pay-to-play will happen in this county," Williams said. "That money would go straight to the coaches supplement and that isn't a good message to send."

Williams, who has lived in Chesterfield County his whole life and claims to know "everyone in town" thinks that if the state does not offer as much funding to schools it could cost coaches.

"I got a $3800 supplement last season and I spent $2900 on the kids and my coaches," he said. "If they cut that in half I would be giving money back.

"I am sure it would cause coaches to quit."

The cuts are only a proposal; the budget still must be approved by the Virginia legislature. The approval would come in April and from there local government will decide how to disperse the funds.

Williams still is not worried.

"We get our funding from the gate at the game," he said. "But other counties are different and it could impact them differently."

High school sports are not being singled out by the proposal. Rather, they are just part of deep cuts impacting public schools in general as well as the size of the state government work force and health and welfare safety net programs.

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From Lansing State Journal - Budget woes hitting high school sports

By Geoff Kimmerly

Lansing State Journal, March 6, 2010 - Michigan high school sports are facing a financial crisis unlike any Haslett's Jamie Gent has seen during his 42 years as a high school coach and athletic director.

Every day he worries about how the next few years will unfold for his roughly 900 students, about half of whom annually play - and pay - for sports.

So far, the cost of balancing budgets has come in cuts of assistant coaches, new equipment or school funding of less popular sports such as bowling. But next month, the Capital Area Activities Conference will consider cutting contests from their freshman and junior varsity schedules.

Ionia County's Saranac High School could end its wrestling, competitive cheer and boys golf programs immediately if enrollment isn't up when school begins in September.

And that could be just the start.

Freshman teams in some sports are next on the block. Farther down the road? Potentially, some sports - perhaps those with strong club counterparts like tennis and swimming - could disappear entirely from the high school landscape, or in the least become fully paid for by athletes with no help from schools.

"There's no money, period," Gent said. "We're coming to a stage in the next three years that if things don't get better, (it could damage) sports altogether. Who do you pick? What stays? What sport doesn't stay?"

As another athletic year gets under way Monday, with the first day of football practices across the state, the grim financial picture foreshadowed in schools' increased reliance on sports participation fees as a way to help struggling budgets.

No matter what the fees are labeled - pay-to-play, athletic registration, or simply transportation fees - more schools statewide are introducing or raising them.

In a 2003 State Journal report looking at 30 districts closest to Lansing, 14 charged fees. Now, 21 do.

Haslett is one of 26 public and private area districts - of 44 total in the area - that charges student-athletes to participate in athletics. Of 11 that increased their fees heading into this school year, Gent's school raised its price tag the most - $50 - up to an annual fee of $150 per student.

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Charleston school board goes back and forth over budget cuts

By DAVE FOPAY - H&R Staff Writer

CHARLESTON - Charleston Superintendent Jim Littleford summed up Wednesday how school board members were handling how they might trim the Charleston High School athletic budget.

"We're all over the place," he said.

A discussion of perhaps cutting sports budgets by 5 percent or 10 percent led to comments about reducing game schedules and that staff cuts would be the best way to save money. Littleford got what he wanted with the meeting to discuss what the next round of budget cuts might involve, though there seemed to be little indication of a consensus.

At press time, the board had heard from those in attendance about concerns about some proposed cuts and began talking about the athletic program. Members had yet to address possible reductions in teaching staff that Littleford also had prepared for the meeting, which drew a crowd of nearly 100.

At one point, board President Ron Miller noted that the board said it wanted to do the "least harm" to varsity athletics. Littleford came back with the possible 5 percent or 10 percent reduction, and "now you're changing the direction," he said.

"Let's give him direction and let him go," Miller said. "Don't keep moving the target on him."

Wednesday's meeting followed cuts the board approved last month that totaled about $450,000. Those included eliminating high school holiday basketball tournaments, reducing the number of games at the middle school level and for high school freshman, sophomore and junior varsity teams and suspending textbook purchases.

Last month's cuts and additional reductions that likely will be up for votes at the board's regular meeting next week are supposed to help get to Littleford's overall target of

$1.63 million in reductions. That's the amount he said is needed to offset budget deficits projected to start three years from now if no changes are made.

Littleford has said state funding for education is the main reason for the need for the cuts.

Littleford told the board that the total cost of Charleston High School athletics comes to about $263,000 a year. That prompted board member Kevin Oakley to note that more budget reductions still would be needed, "if we cut everything."

Possible teaching staff reductions were to be discussed, along with proposals not to replace retiring teachers and reassigning some teachers to other positions.