Post by BrianSullivan on Aug 6, 2010 5:00:59 GMT -5
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-08-04/Front_Page/FRHSD_details_cuts_to_activities.html
FRHSD details cuts to activities
Indoor track and field and district track meet are casualties of budget
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer
Say farewell to junior varsity cheerleading and to winter track and field as students in the Freehold Regional High School District have come to know them over the years.
Due to economic realities, both programs are being eliminated as changes are made to the district’s after-school activities and transportation model.
The changes were announced during the FRHSD Board of Education’s July 26 meeting.
Business Administrator Sean Boyce gave a rundown on the elimination of programs and changes that students will see when school opens in September.
The FRHSD receives students from eight municipalities, operates six high schools and enrolls about 11,800 students in grades nine through 12.
Many of the changes that will be implemented in September were mentioned in general terms when the 2010-11 school year budget was introduced in March. At that time district administrators said the FRHSD’s athletics and extracurricular activities would be examined and changes would be forthcoming.
The action taken by the board last week will provide a $540,000 savings for the district in the upcoming school year, district spokesman James Quirk said.
Actions taken by the board include the elimination of junior varsity cheerleading; the elimination of winter track and field; the elimination of five honoraria (adviser/coach stipend) positions at each high school to be determined by building administration; a hold on the purchase of new uniforms with the exception of hygienic needs, i.e., suits for the swim teams; stipends for weight room attendants will be removed; and a football coaching position from each high school will be eliminated.
At Howell High School one wrestling coach stipend will be removed, as that school had one more wrestling coach than what was provided at the other five schools.
All intradistrict athletic tournaments will be eliminated (the FRHSD cross country championships, the FRHSD track and field championships, the Jack Kuhnert basketball tournament).
The FRHSD will only fund teams’ tournament participation in Monmouth County, Shore Conference and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association events. Varsity teams will be permitted to participate in one additional tournament to be determined at the building level for each sport.
The one exception to the tournaments is for boys and girls spring track and field. In addition to the county, conference and state meets, the FRHSD’s track and field teams will be permitted to attend two varsity level tournaments and one novice tournament.
Boyce said the decision regarding additional tournament participation for spring track and field teams was made based on the way the track season runs since the teams do not have as many opportunities to compete as other sports squads are afforded.
In addition, the school band and cheerleaders will only attend home games. Bands will not be permitted to participate in any non-FRHSD related events (i.e., no community parades).
Junior varsity cheerleading and winter track and field were placed on the chopping block after discussions were held and the determination was made that participants in those programs have other options, Boyce said.
He said the pros and cons of all situations were examined. For example, track and field athletes can take part in spring track or cross country, and cheerleaders can try out for the varsity squad.
Boyce said he had the opportunity to speak with the parents of several winter track and field athletes. He said if parents are willing, he will investigate the possibility of instituting a pay-to-participate fee for the 2010-11 school year to keep winter track and field going.
Resident Mark Weinberger said his daughter participates in winter track and field at Marlboro High School. He said the winter season is a prime time for college recruiters to watch athletes. Weinberger said he would like to take part in a discussion that might lead to a pay-to-participate option for the upcoming school year.
Boyce said he would begin the process of organizing a group to start reviewing a pay-to-participate plan for winter track and field.
A pay-to-participate model for junior varsity cheerleading is also a possibility, according to administrators.
At the moment, the FRHSD’s ice hockey program is completely parent-funded and is running well, Quirk said.
Boyce said he believes a pay-toparticipate model is what the FRHSD will have to look toward going forward for all high school activities.
Other changes students can expect to see are in the area of transportation. Administrators have scrapped all existing bus routes and are in the process of devising new bus routes.
Boyce said the new bus routes will be designed to have students walking no more than three-tenths of a mile (528 yards) to their bus stop.
Parents will see a change from where their child’s bus stop has been in the past, Boyce said. The changes will be indicated on the student’s bus pass and parents will have an opportunity to appeal the change, he explained.
Administrators will also clearly define hazardous routes. Once the hazardous routes are in place, administrators will examine the cost of moving a student’s maximum walking distance to a bus stop from three-tenths of a mile to five-tenths of a mile, 1 mile, 1.5 miles, 2 miles and 2.5 miles.
Boyce said those numbers will be run so they are available in the face of challenging budget situations.
The district has undergone an energy audit and 75 percent of the cost was funded through a state grant. Boyce said the remaining 25 percent of the cost of the energy audit could be funded depending on which recommendations that are contained in the audit the district pursues. The finance committee will look at the results and discuss upgrades, costs and potential savings.
Acting Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Koegler informed the public that from this point on there will be a budget update presented at each board meeting. Administrators are already preparing for the 2011-12 school year budget.
Boyce said that in looking forward to the 2011-12 budget, the FRHSD is facing a multimillion dollar structural deficit. At this point the situation is being examined on the committee level.
Do you have an opinion about this issue? Letters to the editor may be sent to gmntnews@gmnews.com.
FRHSD details cuts to activities
Indoor track and field and district track meet are casualties of budget
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer
Say farewell to junior varsity cheerleading and to winter track and field as students in the Freehold Regional High School District have come to know them over the years.
Due to economic realities, both programs are being eliminated as changes are made to the district’s after-school activities and transportation model.
The changes were announced during the FRHSD Board of Education’s July 26 meeting.
Business Administrator Sean Boyce gave a rundown on the elimination of programs and changes that students will see when school opens in September.
The FRHSD receives students from eight municipalities, operates six high schools and enrolls about 11,800 students in grades nine through 12.
Many of the changes that will be implemented in September were mentioned in general terms when the 2010-11 school year budget was introduced in March. At that time district administrators said the FRHSD’s athletics and extracurricular activities would be examined and changes would be forthcoming.
The action taken by the board last week will provide a $540,000 savings for the district in the upcoming school year, district spokesman James Quirk said.
Actions taken by the board include the elimination of junior varsity cheerleading; the elimination of winter track and field; the elimination of five honoraria (adviser/coach stipend) positions at each high school to be determined by building administration; a hold on the purchase of new uniforms with the exception of hygienic needs, i.e., suits for the swim teams; stipends for weight room attendants will be removed; and a football coaching position from each high school will be eliminated.
At Howell High School one wrestling coach stipend will be removed, as that school had one more wrestling coach than what was provided at the other five schools.
All intradistrict athletic tournaments will be eliminated (the FRHSD cross country championships, the FRHSD track and field championships, the Jack Kuhnert basketball tournament).
The FRHSD will only fund teams’ tournament participation in Monmouth County, Shore Conference and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association events. Varsity teams will be permitted to participate in one additional tournament to be determined at the building level for each sport.
The one exception to the tournaments is for boys and girls spring track and field. In addition to the county, conference and state meets, the FRHSD’s track and field teams will be permitted to attend two varsity level tournaments and one novice tournament.
Boyce said the decision regarding additional tournament participation for spring track and field teams was made based on the way the track season runs since the teams do not have as many opportunities to compete as other sports squads are afforded.
In addition, the school band and cheerleaders will only attend home games. Bands will not be permitted to participate in any non-FRHSD related events (i.e., no community parades).
Junior varsity cheerleading and winter track and field were placed on the chopping block after discussions were held and the determination was made that participants in those programs have other options, Boyce said.
He said the pros and cons of all situations were examined. For example, track and field athletes can take part in spring track or cross country, and cheerleaders can try out for the varsity squad.
Boyce said he had the opportunity to speak with the parents of several winter track and field athletes. He said if parents are willing, he will investigate the possibility of instituting a pay-to-participate fee for the 2010-11 school year to keep winter track and field going.
Resident Mark Weinberger said his daughter participates in winter track and field at Marlboro High School. He said the winter season is a prime time for college recruiters to watch athletes. Weinberger said he would like to take part in a discussion that might lead to a pay-to-participate option for the upcoming school year.
Boyce said he would begin the process of organizing a group to start reviewing a pay-to-participate plan for winter track and field.
A pay-to-participate model for junior varsity cheerleading is also a possibility, according to administrators.
At the moment, the FRHSD’s ice hockey program is completely parent-funded and is running well, Quirk said.
Boyce said he believes a pay-toparticipate model is what the FRHSD will have to look toward going forward for all high school activities.
Other changes students can expect to see are in the area of transportation. Administrators have scrapped all existing bus routes and are in the process of devising new bus routes.
Boyce said the new bus routes will be designed to have students walking no more than three-tenths of a mile (528 yards) to their bus stop.
Parents will see a change from where their child’s bus stop has been in the past, Boyce said. The changes will be indicated on the student’s bus pass and parents will have an opportunity to appeal the change, he explained.
Administrators will also clearly define hazardous routes. Once the hazardous routes are in place, administrators will examine the cost of moving a student’s maximum walking distance to a bus stop from three-tenths of a mile to five-tenths of a mile, 1 mile, 1.5 miles, 2 miles and 2.5 miles.
Boyce said those numbers will be run so they are available in the face of challenging budget situations.
The district has undergone an energy audit and 75 percent of the cost was funded through a state grant. Boyce said the remaining 25 percent of the cost of the energy audit could be funded depending on which recommendations that are contained in the audit the district pursues. The finance committee will look at the results and discuss upgrades, costs and potential savings.
Acting Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Koegler informed the public that from this point on there will be a budget update presented at each board meeting. Administrators are already preparing for the 2011-12 school year budget.
Boyce said that in looking forward to the 2011-12 budget, the FRHSD is facing a multimillion dollar structural deficit. At this point the situation is being examined on the committee level.
Do you have an opinion about this issue? Letters to the editor may be sent to gmntnews@gmnews.com.