MONROE - Boys and girls soccer at Monroe High School could become the next sports funded by the Monroe School District if the school board approves proposed guidelines in the coming weeks.
District Business Manager Ron Olson is chairman of a committee charged with developing guidelines for athletic programs and co-curricular clubs in the district, including determining when a sport can be added and funded by the district. Monroe School District Superintendent Cory Hirsbrunner requested Olson chair the committee that included MHS principal Rick Waski, Monroe Middle School principal Lynne Wheeler, MHS Athletic Director Dave Hirsbrunner and MMS athletic director Howie Jubeck. "It was the perception in the past that the person sitting in this chair was making the decision without any guidelines," Olson said.The proposed guidelines include provisions for when a sports program can be dropped or if a team can be dropped at a certain level, such as freshman, junior varsity and varsity. There are also guidelines for when a paid assistant coach or advisor can be added.
In the proposal, a sponsoring organization can petition the board for a sport to become district-funded if the program has been self-funded for five years; coordinated the process with the principal and athletic director; maintained enough participants so it can field a team for five years; and remained competitive or shown improvement in winning games or competitions.
"We wanted to have a showing and a commitment by the sponsoring group for that sport," Olson said. "We wanted to make sure that sport was working and viable. We are taking a leap or a step as a board or a district. We are willing to add them as a program at a cost."
The district's 2012-13 athletic budget for high school and middle school is $338,120. Of the 15 sports the district currently funds, Olson said, the sport with the highest cost is football at $57,900. The sports that cost the least are girls and boys cross country, golf and tennis, which range from $5,000 to $6,000. The average cost per sport at the middle school and high school is $20,000, Olson said.
There are three self-funded sports at the high school now, including boys soccer, girls soccer and boys hockey. The soccer program started in the district in 2002 and hockey started last year. These self-funded sports don't receive any funding from the district, but rely on fundraising to remain a program. Olson said after participation fees have been collected, the boys soccer program contributes $10,000 and the girls program contributes $7,000 to maintain the sports.Olson said the soccer program has met the criteria to become a self-funded sport.
Last year, the high school soccer program requested, but did not receive, funding from the district.
The situation may be different this year.
"If the boys and girls soccer programs come to us and want to be funded for next year, we will probably make the recommendation to fund them because of the participation numbers they have had," Olson said. Participation numbers for boys and girls have ranged from 25 to 35 the last three years.
The school board discussed the guidelines at its meeting Monday, March 11 but tabled a decision until its next meeting. The board's meeting for Monday, March 25 is canceled; the board is scheduled to meet next on Monday, April 8.
At the March 11 meeting, board member Amy Bazley opposed including the provision that a sports program be competitive before it can become funded. There are no provision for existing sports to remain competitive, she said.
Board member Brian Keith likewise didn't support the requirement the team be competitive.
"I think that is a problem," Keith said. "To me, it's not always about winning or losing. It's about kids becoming better citizens for the future," he said.
Board president Bob Erb cautioned that the board will still have the final say on athletic programs.
"The reality is this is not Florida State," Erb said. "We can't just say a sport is not doing well so we are going to get rid of it. The reality is before we send a sport out to pasture, we will have to look at it."
In the proposal, when dropping a team or sport, participation numbers must have fallen below the criteria for two to three years, Olson said. Olson said once a team or sport is dropped, it will be out for a minimum of two years because of conference scheduling with other schools.
Board member Larry Eakins, who has served on the board for 28 years, said the only sport he can recall the district dropping is gymnastics.
"We had just one gymnast and we needed new equipment," Eakins said. "There was a cost. We did it for budgetary reasons."
Eakins said his only concern is determining how the district will pay for adding another funded high school sport.
"We will have to decide if we are going to add more money to the athletic budget or take the existing budget and divide it over more teams. Everyone will be interested in how this is solved."
District Business Manager Ron Olson is chairman of a committee charged with developing guidelines for athletic programs and co-curricular clubs in the district, including determining when a sport can be added and funded by the district. Monroe School District Superintendent Cory Hirsbrunner requested Olson chair the committee that included MHS principal Rick Waski, Monroe Middle School principal Lynne Wheeler, MHS Athletic Director Dave Hirsbrunner and MMS athletic director Howie Jubeck. "It was the perception in the past that the person sitting in this chair was making the decision without any guidelines," Olson said.The proposed guidelines include provisions for when a sports program can be dropped or if a team can be dropped at a certain level, such as freshman, junior varsity and varsity. There are also guidelines for when a paid assistant coach or advisor can be added.
In the proposal, a sponsoring organization can petition the board for a sport to become district-funded if the program has been self-funded for five years; coordinated the process with the principal and athletic director; maintained enough participants so it can field a team for five years; and remained competitive or shown improvement in winning games or competitions.
"We wanted to have a showing and a commitment by the sponsoring group for that sport," Olson said. "We wanted to make sure that sport was working and viable. We are taking a leap or a step as a board or a district. We are willing to add them as a program at a cost."
The district's 2012-13 athletic budget for high school and middle school is $338,120. Of the 15 sports the district currently funds, Olson said, the sport with the highest cost is football at $57,900. The sports that cost the least are girls and boys cross country, golf and tennis, which range from $5,000 to $6,000. The average cost per sport at the middle school and high school is $20,000, Olson said.
There are three self-funded sports at the high school now, including boys soccer, girls soccer and boys hockey. The soccer program started in the district in 2002 and hockey started last year. These self-funded sports don't receive any funding from the district, but rely on fundraising to remain a program. Olson said after participation fees have been collected, the boys soccer program contributes $10,000 and the girls program contributes $7,000 to maintain the sports.Olson said the soccer program has met the criteria to become a self-funded sport.
Last year, the high school soccer program requested, but did not receive, funding from the district.
The situation may be different this year.
"If the boys and girls soccer programs come to us and want to be funded for next year, we will probably make the recommendation to fund them because of the participation numbers they have had," Olson said. Participation numbers for boys and girls have ranged from 25 to 35 the last three years.
The school board discussed the guidelines at its meeting Monday, March 11 but tabled a decision until its next meeting. The board's meeting for Monday, March 25 is canceled; the board is scheduled to meet next on Monday, April 8.
At the March 11 meeting, board member Amy Bazley opposed including the provision that a sports program be competitive before it can become funded. There are no provision for existing sports to remain competitive, she said.
Board member Brian Keith likewise didn't support the requirement the team be competitive.
"I think that is a problem," Keith said. "To me, it's not always about winning or losing. It's about kids becoming better citizens for the future," he said.
Board president Bob Erb cautioned that the board will still have the final say on athletic programs.
"The reality is this is not Florida State," Erb said. "We can't just say a sport is not doing well so we are going to get rid of it. The reality is before we send a sport out to pasture, we will have to look at it."
In the proposal, when dropping a team or sport, participation numbers must have fallen below the criteria for two to three years, Olson said. Olson said once a team or sport is dropped, it will be out for a minimum of two years because of conference scheduling with other schools.
Board member Larry Eakins, who has served on the board for 28 years, said the only sport he can recall the district dropping is gymnastics.
"We had just one gymnast and we needed new equipment," Eakins said. "There was a cost. We did it for budgetary reasons."
Eakins said his only concern is determining how the district will pay for adding another funded high school sport.
"We will have to decide if we are going to add more money to the athletic budget or take the existing budget and divide it over more teams. Everyone will be interested in how this is solved."