Supporters will now attempt to pay bills for frosh football,
tennis for the fall semester
Players and friends of freshman football and boys and girls varsity tennis had reason to celebrate Monday night as School Board trustees took a “leap of faith” and reinstated the sports for the upcoming school year.
The board eliminated the pay for coaches which forced the cancellation of these sports before the end of the last school year as part of the district’s $3.4 million budget slashing.
“This is a little bit out-of-the-box thinking,” Superintendent Carolyn McKennan said of the plan to reinstate the sports. “We are asking for someone else to fund these programs for you.”
During the June 3 board meeting, the board was asked during public comment to reverse the decision to cut $30,000 from the extra curricular budget.
The board then directed the superintendent and staff to look into reinstating the sports that were in jeopardy.
District staff pointed out that what the board approved during the April 7 meeting was not the elimination of athletics but the reduction of extra duty stipends by $30,000.
Because the stipends are part of the collective bargaining agreement between the district and the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers, the stipends cannot be unilaterally changed.
“We need to have better oversight,” Board President Tom Kinoshita, referring to the fact that the stipends should not have been a part of the cuts in the first place. “We need to look at the fine tuned details … Everyone is overworked and stressed and this fell through the cracks. The staff are aware of it and we are aware of it.”
But due to the lack of a state budget – which leaves the district up in the air on a number of funding questions – and the fact that 64 classified staff have been placed on unpaid furloughs and 21 have been laid off to cut costs, the board could not vote to reinstate the stipends without community support, officials said.
Sports boosters have stepped up to the plate to offer to raise fund to pay for the costs not covered by gate and income from food and drink sales at the snack shack.
Live Oak High Varsity Football Coach Glen Webb, who has been before the board more than once since the cuts were made to present cost breakdowns that illustrate how the football program pays for itself and other sports, said the board should not be nervous about reinstating the coaching positions.
“Speaking as the head of your football program and backed up by the fiscal realities of running a freshman team, I am also here to assure you that the budget exposure to the district to run that team is minimal to nothing,” he said.
Webb told trustees if just one student stays in the district because of the program, the ADA (average daily attendance money) would cover the cost of the program.
Interested parents and children turned out Monday night to hear the board’s decision. Some of them chose to address the board.
“This is a needed sport in our community,” said James Romero, whose son Jason participated in the freshman program last year. “It allows the coaches to help our children learn how to be men, to learn about discipline, to learn to take their energy and use it in a positive way.”
Trustee Shellé Thomas cautioned supporters, who have pledged to raise money to help support the programs.
“It is easy for us to sit up here and pass this (motion reinstating the sports) when the burden is on you,” she said. “This is our chance to pull together as a community, something you should feel positive about … But there is no money (in the district budget for the programs), the burden is upon you.”
Trustee George Panos praised the community effort that lead to the freshman football and two tennis programs being reinstated.
“What we are striving for is equity and equality,” he said. “Through shared dialogue with the community … a plan was developed that looks like it leverages everyone’s efforts. It is a leap of faith, and it is important to remember that we are not looking for a Band-Aid, but we are looking for a framework for the future. Not just for some sports, but for all sports.”
Webb said even though freshman football now has the green light, the program still faces some challenges.
“It’s kind of a mixed blessing,” Webb said. “The good news is that we got our frosh team reinstated. The bad news is that we hand out gear in less than 10 days.”
As Live Oak will now field three teams, it creates openings for players at all three levels.
“I anticipate other kids joining the team,” Webb said. “With about 125 kids signed up, that is two really big teams and three small teams. If you are sitting on the bubble and you feel you don’t have a chance, it is a lot easier to walk away from a team of 60 than it is for a team of 40. It helps more people be involved. The opportunities to be playing go.”
Expanding the coaching staff to cover three teams has created some coaching openings, and energetic volunteers are still needed.
The freshman staff was filled, but it was uncertain whether they would coach freshmen or JV.
The fate of golf and diving and other freshman sports, which have also been eliminated, will be discussed at a later date, according to staff.
Contact Coach Webb for details on background checks and certification requirements at 683-0205 or at gw***@****************ca.us
For information on donating to Live Oak athletics, contact Booster Club President Pam Mom at 778-5481.
