CA: Livermore, Uncertain future for HS athletics

26-Nov-2011 IndependentNews.com

As state funding to K-12 education decreases, school districts can no longer afford to pay for enrichment and extracurricular programs. Parents either bear the financial responsibility to keep those programs alive, or they are eliminated. You could plug almost anything into that formula - music, art, drama, or athletics, which was one of the topics at the Nov. 15 meeting of the Livermore Board of Education.

"It's difficult to overstate the importance of extracurricular activities, including athletics, in a comprehensive high school program," said assistant superintendent Chris Van Schaack. "Over the past three years, we've asked parents to contribute more and more. I'm fearful we are pricing families out of athletics. Are we missing opportunities for connections with students?"

The District has steadily reduced the amount of funding for high school athletics over the last few years. Last spring, all funding for high school athletics was eliminated.

In response to the reductions, parents were asked to contribute a "fair share" donation per student per sport. According to Van Schacck, the fair share donation was about $150 in 2008 but has increased to about $600 in the current school year. The percentage of parents donating has dropped, from 85% in 2008 to 65% in 2011.

While the fair share donation is voluntary and no student can be turned away for not contributing, Van Schaack expressed concern that there are "students who just aren't coming to the table." The fair share donation, he explained, originally was intended to be on par with fees for community sports programs like recreational soccer and little league.

The athletics programs at Livermore and Granada High Schools cost approximately $580,000 at each site. Most of that money goes towards equipment ($205,000), coaching stipends ($145,000), and miscellaneous costs, such as trainers, travel, and maintenance ($155,000). Other costs are transportation ($30,000) and league fees and officials ($47,000).

Currently, the majority of the funding comes from voluntary donations - $105,000 from fair share, $220,000 for gear and equipment, $30,000 for transportation, and $107,000 from the Livermore-Granada Boosters. Team fundraising brings in about $50,000. The Associated Student Body (ASB) at each school contributes $70,000.

All money collected through gate receipts at sports like football, basketball, and volleyball, goes to the school's ASB. Gate fees are regulated by the leagues. The ASB, in turn, spends the money on the entire school, not just athletics. "The biggest expense is school improvement, like new bleachers or upgrading the sound system," said Livermore High School student representative Alek Klimek.

The trustees discussed options for high school athletics, which included contributing from the general fund, eliminating sports, changing to an intramural program, being adopted by a star athlete alumnus, and seeking a business sponsor, another parcel tax, or more community donations. They could even include collecting change in storefronts.

Trustee Anne White commented that some school districts have put out the idea that they'd have to cut football or basketball, only to have a wealthy patron emerge from the community. "I don't know if we have a patron like that in Livermore," she said. "Sports are important - more important than I thought when I first joined the board."

Trustee Stu Gary expressed concern that by providing no District funding for high school athletics, the District could be exposed politically, philosophically, and possibly legally if the situation evolved into "pay to play."

"We need to stretch some resources in the general fund. I'd support designating at least $50,000 per site from the general fund," he said. "It would take the pressure off while we have a community discussion about athletics as well as arts and music. The general fund budget will have to be reapportioned further, understanding we might have to squeeze K-5 or increase class sizes."

Kate Runyon said that this idea was not feasible, as the District is already deficit spending. "The reality is, we are Greece. We spend more than we take in every year," she explained. "The difference between us and Greece is that we started with some money. It's extremely painful, but we are facing a grim reality that we are eating away at our reserve. We could ask for a token contribution, but really, we are facing the question of whether we can afford to have sports? I'd give up sports before I'd give up arts or math or science."

The best option, she added, was to go back to the community and ask, "Are you willing to let this happen or are you willing to pay more in property taxes?"

Another concern is that donations will decrease because of the economy. Klimek said that ASB has been contributing money to sports from its surplus, which is almost gone. "I don't think we can continue donating to athletics," he said. "Donations from the LHS ASB will be much less next year."

Superintendent Kelly Bowers also noted that athletics is one of the Livermore Valley Education Foundation (LVEF)'s "Straight A's for Education"; the other two are arts and academics. "Athletics have not always garnered as much attention," she said. "We have many star alumni like Randy Johnson. Maybe one day one of our alumnus will adopt us."

The Board will discuss this issue further at a future meeting. The trustees asked District administrators to include information about middle school athletics, provide a more detailed cost breakdown, and consider if facilities funds could be used for school improvement projects funded by ASB.

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CA: Livermore, Uncertain future for HS athletics

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