Post by title1parent on Apr 2, 2010 6:29:37 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=370211&src=76
District 200 'B' teams could be passed along to park districts
By Robert Sanchez | Daily Herald 4/2/2010
Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 may hand off responsibility for a popular middle school sports program to two park districts.
Representatives from Wheaton Park District said they and Warrenville Park District officials are considering a plan to assume management of "B" sports teams offered at District 200's four middle schools.
Mike Benard, Wheaton's park director, said District 200 wants the park districts to take over the program but "nothing is set in stone."
"It's unfortunate that cuts are occurring at District 200," he said. "We're trying to do what we can to help. This is our realm - athletics and recreation."
District 200 started the "B" teams during the 2000-2001 school year in response to an enrollment spike at the middle schools. This year, about 250 seventh- and eighth-graders played on the "B" teams for boys and girls basketball and girls volleyball, officials said.
But with District 200 forced to cut millions of dollars in spending over the past two years, school officials considered eliminating the program to save about $150,000 a year.
The idea of cutting "B" teams proved to be controversial. Parents attended school board meetings to ask that the program be saved. There was even an online petition this year signed by more than 530 people.
The program was saved last year after several board members questioned whether Wheaton Park District would have enough time to implement it before fall 2009.
Still, the "B" teams were just one vote away from elimination on March 24 when the school board approved roughly $6.4 million in cuts after deciding to leave funding for "B" teams in the 2010-11 budget.
Board members said they wanted assurances transitioning the program to the park district was going to happen. A progress report is expected by June.
In the meantime, Wheaton park officials are trying to determine what the program might look like under their control.
For one thing, the park districts can't afford to spend $150,000 to run the program like District 200.
"We would have to run it in a way where we make at least as much as we spend," Benard said. The park districts don't want to greatly increase the participation fee.
That means the park districts probably won't provide transportation for the teams to reach their games. In addition, coaches aren't expected to be paid much, if at all.
"Clearly, the way they (District 200 officials) are running it costs a lot more money than it makes, hence the problem," Benard said. "We can't do that. At the very least, we need to make as much as we spend. That's the challenge, so that's what we're working on."
District 200 'B' teams could be passed along to park districts
By Robert Sanchez | Daily Herald 4/2/2010
Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 may hand off responsibility for a popular middle school sports program to two park districts.
Representatives from Wheaton Park District said they and Warrenville Park District officials are considering a plan to assume management of "B" sports teams offered at District 200's four middle schools.
Mike Benard, Wheaton's park director, said District 200 wants the park districts to take over the program but "nothing is set in stone."
"It's unfortunate that cuts are occurring at District 200," he said. "We're trying to do what we can to help. This is our realm - athletics and recreation."
District 200 started the "B" teams during the 2000-2001 school year in response to an enrollment spike at the middle schools. This year, about 250 seventh- and eighth-graders played on the "B" teams for boys and girls basketball and girls volleyball, officials said.
But with District 200 forced to cut millions of dollars in spending over the past two years, school officials considered eliminating the program to save about $150,000 a year.
The idea of cutting "B" teams proved to be controversial. Parents attended school board meetings to ask that the program be saved. There was even an online petition this year signed by more than 530 people.
The program was saved last year after several board members questioned whether Wheaton Park District would have enough time to implement it before fall 2009.
Still, the "B" teams were just one vote away from elimination on March 24 when the school board approved roughly $6.4 million in cuts after deciding to leave funding for "B" teams in the 2010-11 budget.
Board members said they wanted assurances transitioning the program to the park district was going to happen. A progress report is expected by June.
In the meantime, Wheaton park officials are trying to determine what the program might look like under their control.
For one thing, the park districts can't afford to spend $150,000 to run the program like District 200.
"We would have to run it in a way where we make at least as much as we spend," Benard said. The park districts don't want to greatly increase the participation fee.
That means the park districts probably won't provide transportation for the teams to reach their games. In addition, coaches aren't expected to be paid much, if at all.
"Clearly, the way they (District 200 officials) are running it costs a lot more money than it makes, hence the problem," Benard said. "We can't do that. At the very least, we need to make as much as we spend. That's the challenge, so that's what we're working on."