Prepared Text for Board Meeting – SPAC
Marc A. Schare
Tonight, I want to share
some thoughts on the co-curricular program. I hate to drag out the “M” word
again – micromanagement – but in this case, I hope that we as a board can focus
our discussions at the
First, is the taxpayer
subsidy we give to the cocurricular program comparable with surrounding districts?
As a district, are we are spending too little on sports, too much on sports or
just the right amount. Should we let the community weigh in on this question
via a public forum?
Second, we have a somewhat
artificial ratio of expenditures between athletics and activities, 2/3 for
athletics and 1/3 for activities. This ratio is referenced in union contracts.
Is this something that should be continued?
Third, what is the overall
goal of the cocurricular program? Participation in an activity or a sport
doubtless contributes to the social and emotional development of students and
that is the justification for any taxpayer subsidy, but what are we trying to
accomplish with this expenditure? Are we
trying to maximize participation so that the most students possible can benefit
from the program? Alternatively, are we trying to build the most competitive
teams possible so that students have the most opportunity to excel? Obviously,
this is a balancing act, but our current program seems tilted more towards
participation. We offer a tremendous range of activities and sports and to do
so, we ask that for some activities and sports, parents fund some of the
coaching positions. Is this what
Fourth, when Jennifer and
I first asked for this report, I was envisioning a far more comprehensive
effort geared towards evaluating all aspects of the current program. For
perfectly understandable reasons, this report doesn’t do that but it does offer
minor tweaks to the current program. Another