Schools hammering out actual cost of sports programs

Sisters schools are working on nailing down what it really costs to operate their sports programs. The new director of co-curricular activities, Tim Roth, and Superintendent Jim Golden will have "the true cost of sports" in specific numbers for the school board to review in October.

"Philosophically the board needs to know what athletics really cost," said Golden. "We are close to having a real rational cost. In the past, the district has never had a total sports cost. Then the board can make the policy decision how much the district is going to subsidize athletics."

The total will include field costs, lighting, transportation, equipment, and maintenance. Initial estimates are just under $400,000 per year.

The board approved Golden's recommendations for a 2012-2013 transportation fee schedule that is unchanged from last year's $2.10 per mile, with one exception. The two new Type 20 14-passenger buses will be charged at $1 per mile to provide incentive for their use.

Golden acknowledged that this continues the tradition of the district paying two-thirds of the cost of sports transportation. He indicated that he would like to get all the sports costs collected, get the board's decision on the sports subsidy policies and then, "Make any major funding changes in May, going into effect in August 2013 so that coaches have adequate notice."

In his fourth week on the job, co-curricular director Roth reported on a number of the activities that he was involved with. These activities included an all-fall-sports "parent awareness" meeting Wednesday night to introduce him and the coaches to the parents. After the introductions, each sport was to break out to a different classroom where the coaches would review competition schedules, practice schedules and expectations, lettering requirements and give the parents some Q&A time with head coaches.

Roth reported that awards banquets will be handled in the same fashion at the end of each season, with a group assembly followed by break-out sessions for individual sports celebrations.

For fundraising Roth said, "The initial plan is to put on four events throughout the year. We have selected bingo nights as something that has been successful in the past. This would bring the community into the schools to help celebrate kids, which is one of my goals.

"October 8 is the first bingo night. Any group that wants to participate: football, cross-country, volleyball, soccer, can volunteer," said Roth. "At the end of the year, after the forth bingo night in August, all the money will be given out to the teams that participated."

Any club sports that participate in the fundraisers will also get their cut at the end of the year.

Other fundraising ideas being considered include putting together a 12-month calendar with student athlete pictures to be sold before the holidays, and developing corporate sponsorships.

Board member Andrew Gorayeb expressed his concern that the board did not have a policy that supports the Oregon School Activities Association(OSAA) requirement that every member of a team must meet OSAA eligibility requirements. If a team member is found to be ineligible, any competition that included said team member is negated.

Roth reported that the new sports signup system, with fees paid at SPRD and forms turned in to the high school office has done a lot to eliminate the problem of athletes getting their papers filed, their physicals completed and their fees paid. Of the 170 kids signed up for fall sports, only 20 still had not completed their requirements as of Wednesday.

"This is vastly improved over previous years, from what I'm told," said Roth.

Boardmember Cheryl Stewart said, "If there is a financial issue, talk to us and we will help you figure it out. We want you on the field. We don't want to be so strict that kids don't participate."

Gorayeb responded, "That is all taken care of at SPRD (Sisters Park & Recreation District) already. There is scholarship money; there are all sorts of different avenues that people can take. No one gets turned away, ever, for financial reasons."