USD 408 gives thumbs-up to baseball/softball programs years ago
By KATHY HAGEMAN
Staff writer
A standing-room-only crowd told members of the Marion-Florence USD 408 Board of Education Monday night that students and the district as a whole would suffer if baseball and softball programs were eliminated.
Following a lengthy comment session from the public and discussion the board arrived at a consensus allowing the sports to continue during the 2004-05 school year.
However, the board agreed that assistant coaches will not be employed until it is determined there are sufficient players to warrant extra coaches.
The board further directed staff to continue working on cooperative agreements with Centre and Peabody-Burns school districts about fielding joint teams. Also, staff was directed to find other areas to cut within the athletic budget and examine the possibility of instituting some type of activity fee.
The board approved the consensus 6-1 with member Keith Collett casting the no vote.
Casey at the bat
Casey Case, representing the Marion Baseball Commission, told the board the group had worked hard during the past 10 years to build three new diamonds and create a ballpark which was "second to none in a town our size." Two years later baseball and softball were added at the high school.
Case said he understood lack of participation was the biggest obstacle to continuing the program, but noted it was important to the MCAA League that USD 408 continue to offer both sports.
Locally, Case said MHS baseball coach Sean Spoonts and softball coach Charlotte Waner both felt confident of their "small" squads' ability to play and succeed.
Case further noted that large squad size doesn't necessarily spell success. He referred to a Chase County team which consistently played a full varsity and junior varsity schedule with relatively small numbers.
He also noted the city's summer ball programs were strong and there were large numbers of kids who planned to play high school ball in future years.
"And there's the possibility of further education (college) with baseball and softball scholarships," Case said.
He noted Marion already has several youth who "if they worked hard" could play beyond the college level.
The school-community relationship also is an important component in the decision, Case said.
"Through the REC league many business people are spending a lot of time and money on coaching and now our kids have the opportunity to play high school baseball," Case said. Many of these same business people, he noted, also contribute monetarily to the school supporting after prom and other fund-raising programs.
"These are the same people who give unselfishly to the school
Case said cutting the programs would save the district approximately $17,000. However, if students leave USD 408 so they can play elsewhere that would affect enrollment and ultimately state funding.
"The first two-and-a-half kids we lose we'll be out any of the money we saved dropping the programs," Case said. "The financial impact will carry on into the future."
Case said kids lose if the opportunity to play is eliminated. The district will lose because players will leave for other school districts and will result in a financial loss.
"It's a lose-lose proposition," he said.
Superintendent Gerald Henderson said he had heard from several parents of children attending Centre school district who were favorable to allowing their children to play ball with a Marion team. However, that would have to be a Centre school board decision.
Board member Chris Sprowls and president Rex Savage said they believed Peabody-Burns school district had been approached about the idea and it might possibly be presented to its board.
Board members later clarified that if members from other schools joined the squad it would still be a "Marion" team.
Audience member Jami Williams questioned why sports programs were on the chopping block while administrators go untouched. Williams said she felt the school board "missed an opportunity" when it didn't join with Centre when both districts were looking for new superintendents earlier this year.
"We're spending $306,000 with fringe benefits on five people. Why don't we cut there?" Williams said.
She said she was glad to hear the new league charges admission for baseball/softball games and suggested parents hold fund-raisers and perhaps coaches could volunteer their time rather than being paid.
The only reason some kids keep their grades up and stay in school is so they can participate in baseball and softball programs, she added.
"We're looking at cutting programs just to save the district $17,000?" she said incredulously. "What a waste."
The audience applauded Williams' statements.
Coach Spoonts said there have been other high school sports which continued to exist even though there were only a few participants. In particular, he pointed to the MHS wrestling squad.
"Numbers have been pretty consistent. We've only had a problem with numbers one year. I don't understand why you're going to cut programs now," he said.
Audience member Russ Cain predicted the district would lose kids. "If my daughter wants to play I'll move her out of the district," he said. "I predict there's plenty of others who will too."
Since athletic director Tod Gordon was busy running a track meet and not in attendance, Savage asked Henderson when Gordon would need to have a decision on the fate of the program as it concerns scheduling.
Henderson said he believed no later than June or early July. Sprowls noted schedules are set for two years.
"What we're hearing from you is that down the road we'll have the numbers," Henderson told the audience. "But we felt we had that commitment this year, but the girls aren't there."
However, Henderson predicted the numbers would be there for both programs next year just because of the interest generated.
"This discussion has created a lot more enthusiasm for the program. I'd really be upset if no one cared," Henderson said.
Board member Kathy Meierhoff said she wanted the programs to continue. She suggested coaches start holding local clinics for younger students rather than parents sending money to colleges for summer clinics.
Meierhoff said she appreciates the volunteers who "worked their butts off" adding more fields so more games could be played. Eliminating the high school programs would "be a waste," she said.
Board member Gene Bowers said he had talked to Gordon about finding other areas in the sports budget to cut while keeping baseball and softball.
Board clerk/business manager Martin Tice reminded the board that much of the athletic budget was devoted to salaries "which is not negotiable" and makes fewer areas in which to cut.
Sprowls said he had devoted years to helping Marion build its baseball and softball programs and he was "very hesitant" to drop them. However, the overall fiscal situation requires that sports take some kind of cut.
"We're cutting staff. We're cutting core areas in our schools. I'd like to see baseball and softball continue. But still money has to be found in the budget," Sprowls said. "I feel if we don't cut sports somewhere we're slapping education and our staff members across the face."
Sprowls suggested a seven percent across the board cut affecting all sports.
Board member Collett said he agreed with Sprowls.
"We are without an elementary librarian. My daughter who is entering fifth grade will be in a class of 23. We've lost a tech position at the high school. We've made cuts that strike at the very heart of what we're about here. We have to look at what our school does here," Collett said.
"We can't put enough numbers on a field to scrimmage. We started practice with only nine softball players. One injury and we're done," he continued. "This community hasn't been able to field an American Legion team for years without depending on our neighbors. We have a lot of participation through eighth grade, but then we have trouble without going to neighboring towns and joining forces with them."
Board member Sarah Cope said she appreciated the phone calls and letters and said she'd like to see some type of "across the board" cut in the athletic program which would allow all the activities to continue.
Like Sprowls and Collett, Cope said she couldn't see chopping educational programs and staff without sports taking some type of cut.
Savage said he hoped the board didn't feel "threatened with an enrollment issue" if it didn't agree to keep the programs. He also said he'd like to see staff continue looking at cooperative agreements with area school districts. However, Savage said he didn't feel it would benefit Marion to join with a similar-size or larger district (Hillsboro) because combined enrollment numbers could possibly place the team in a higher state classification.
"I'd hate to see us kicked out of 3A," he said.
Savage questioned whether there would be enough players to field a team next year.
"We do have enough parents and children saying it's important and I feel we'll have enough kids," Henderson said. "and if we don't the board can cut the program at that time. We've had situations where other districts have cut programs at the last minute and we've had to go fill schedules. People sometimes simply pull out."
Several audience members including Mike Jeffrey volunteered to serve as assistant coaches without being paid or being paid only $1. However, Tice said the district would have wage-hour law problems in that arrangement.
Board members indicated they would examine all possibilities.
