June 4, 2009

Dear DUSD Board of Education:

Optimism is a crucial choice we make in establishing expectations for ourselves and others as we begin to move forward through adversity.
  ~Christopher Novak

Tonight it is my intent to make a brief presentation during the public input section on the board agenda.  My primary goal is to encourage the board to revisit the topic of stipends not being issued for the 2009-2010 school year.  The decision by the board to reinstate sports at the May 21, 2009 board meeting caught the entire DUSD sporting world by surprise.  I clearly understand your rationale to not issue stipends for the 09-10 school year at the time, but I feel it is prudent to allow for more public input regarding the matter and to listen to some alternative views and thoughts on why and how issuing stipends for 09-10 makes sense.

The athletic departments at DHS and CAJ worked closely with members of the community over the past five months anticipating severe reductions in state wide dollars with the goal to provide the DUSD with alternative budgets to ease the pain of reductions, always with the intent to maintain sports.  Over the course of several meetings we presented a very logical request for a “bare bones” budget allocation ($109,629.52) that would maintain the framework of athletics as we know it in the DUSD. 

In more than one meeting/discussion with Supt. Halberg, he conveyed to me that he felt it was imperative that head coaching stipends accompany the reinstatement of sports in the DUSD.  The stipend clearly acknowledges a contract and provides official control over all athletic programs within the district {i.e. what is to stop a coach who works for no stipend to throw in the towel midway through a poor season when there is no stipend involved?}. 

Just prior to the May 21, 2009 board meeting, the third interim report was added to the agenda.  During discussion of the report the topic of athletic stipends was reviewed.  A question from a member of the public was raised regarding equity and the district allocation for all stipends on the Extra-Duty Payment Schedule. 

The board voted for the following:

1.                   re-establish one release period for A.D. and restore A.D. clerical position;

2.                 identify other athletic expenses which are essential components of running the athletic program that include, but are not limited to state, section, and league dues; officials; medical supplies and services; safety equipment; and other related expenses for the overall operation of an athletic program;

3.                 stipends for coaching positions and funds for specific program needs will not be included in the District’s expenditures on athletics;

4.                 stipends will not be paid and fund-raising for them will not be allowed.  This contradicts the precedent set this year when our frosh girl’s basketball coach was paid from fund-raised monies.

The decision not to allocate stipends for athletics and allow for fund-raising for stipends has created chaos in the DUSD athletic world.

Below is a little history and some views regarding how these board decisions affect athletics at CAJ and DHS.

-                     CAJ lost all athletic support a number of years ago, but maintained stipends as the last bastion to maintain some aspect of their program.  They lost transportation, equipment supplies and officials funding.

-                     DUSD certificated employees are faced with a moral & ethical issue whether to cross association lines and work for free for what is a negotiated paid stipend.

-                     I truly believe few people outside of the coaching world really understand what it takes to be a head coach.  An incredible amount of time is spent organizing, scheduling, coordinating, fund-raising, being a psychologist, communicating with staff, athletes, parents and the community at large in addition to just coaching.  Often the perception is the coach will take care of it – it always seems to get done.

-                     As mentioned earlier, the superintendent is in agreement that stipends should be in place for a binding contract.

-                     It is true, the stipend is only a small financial token of support for those who coach, and the token does help address a few personal bills and quite often is dumped back into the program per coaching expenses for the program.

Let’s Review The Original Coaching Spreadsheet Sent To Superintendent Halberg:

This spreadsheet represents only athletics, because at the time I had my hands full and was in no position to research and address additional stipends on the Extra-Duty Payment Schedule.  The figures listed above are very accurate and include all mandated expenses.

 I believe it was the goal and intent of Superintendent Halberg to have the board approve this proposal as it kept athletics intact and the District had control over all contracts.  MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING, THE REINSTATEMENT OF SPORTS IN THE DUSD MADE FINANCIAL SENSE.  With the figures listed above, when athlete #19 steps out the door and goes to another school, the District begins losing money via A.D.A.  It wouldn’t hurt the District this year, but it would have a profound affect in future years to come.

Rather than face public scrutiny, the board opted to vote for the reinstatement of sports, without stipends.

-                     This asks a lot of a coach, an A.D. – who lost an additional prep period for 08-09 and an athletic program to donate ALL of their time.

-                     This decision – essentially squelches CAJ sports and activities.

More perplexing than anything was the allocation of a $109,629.52 budget with no real definitive figures addressing need, other than the A.D. period and clerical support.  The figures for the two positions equals $33,688.00. 

The assignment of funds to pay for officials and dues (approximately $30,000) is a REPLICATION of the funds being generated by the DSAB.  The major goal of the DSAB is to get kids back on the surface and courts.  The DSAB has three focus areas: pay dues to league, section and state; pay officials fees and help organize and coordinate fundraisers and help man gates and serve as security at sporting events.

Our ambulatory fees this past year were under $1,000.00.  Football refurbishment is generally no more than $5,000.00 annually.  Safety gear for other sporting programs is generally no more than $2,000.00 every few years. 

Were some of the funds to go to CAJ?  If so, there is a little under $40,000.00 left over.

 A New Proposal With Supporting Rationale:

Before you fall out of your chair and think of all of the reasons on why you can’t do something, please review my rationale.

1.                   When I made the athletic proposal, it included what was necessary to keep athletics operating.  Normally the A.D. prep period and A.D. clerical would not be part of the stipend budget, so in reality the true stipend figures would be $145,148.92.

2.                 For the 09-10 school year, DHS athletics will take a hit of $67,000.00 with the loss of $30,000.00 – transportation and $37,000.00 – lottery.  Subtract this figure from pt. 1 and true additional stipend expenditures are $78,148.92.

Reviewing the budget is a matter of interpretation – playing with numbers and skewing them how one wants.

The true clear pictures is:

-                     You have already allocated $109,629.52 to athletics in some form.

-                     I am asking for an additional $69,207.40.

-                     The total sum is $178,836.92.

After working closely with Ivan Chaidez at DHS and discussing key budget issues with Bill Scott, Roger Halberg and Brian Dolan, I feel the above stipend positions for the entire K-12 DUSD are reasonable, logical and would deeply assist with public relations and meet student needs.

-                     Allocating funds for stipends vs. certificated or classified makes total sense.  An additional allocation of $69,000 might pay for 1 – 1.5 certificated or 2 classified personnel.  Comparing stipends to certificated/classified assignments is like comparing apples and oranges.  They are both fruit, but they serve an entirely different purpose.

-                     The reduction in teachers and DUSD personnel has been deep and painful.  At a time when enrichment has been wiped out, the stipends listed will re-introduce enrichment back into the lives of our students.  The stipend positions listed above are ones where people run the various programs or clubs that give that extra personal attention in education.

-                     I have listed grade-level reps for the elementary schools where teachers spend extra time meeting and communicating about curriculum and student development and progress.

-                     At the junior high level, we identified sports, band and yearbook – key ingredients for a holistic junior high experience.

-                     At the high school I have identified FFA, band, yearbook, academic decathlon, Jr. & Sr. class advisors and sports.

*   Dept. Chairs at both the Jr. & Sr. high school level can work closely with site administration to develop some sort of reciprocal agreement for some 5 meetings during the year.

A.)     I am asking for one school year of stipend allocation.

B.)      This extra year would allow me and all interested parties to put in place a framework and foundation for fund-raising for stipends and creating additional support for the various programs that are stipend.

C.)      The goal is to create a vehicle that ALL of us can work with and through that won’t compromise one’s integrity with regard to crossing an association line.

D.)     Next year if stipend money exists, I see it going to those entities that don’t have students or others to assist with fund-raising ideas (grade-level reps, dept. chairs, yearbook advisors and A.D.’s).

E.)      I am asking you – the school board to branch out – similar to when each board member would take a school or two to visit and join one of the groups or committees in the District where discussion of funding taking place.  Assist with the creative ideas on fund-raising and share them with fellow board members so everyone is in the loop.  Build a bridge with the community and help with P.R.

Superintendent Halberg indicates that the District will have an ending balance between $550,000 - $1.5 million this year.  Next year there will be less and within two years, we could have a deficit of between $2.4 - $2.? Million dollars.

I truly believe that public sentiment is very strong during this time of very severe cuts to maintain some programs that will affect all kids directly or indirectly K-12 in the DUSD.  I believe they would support an additional $69, 200.00 in allocation for stipends this year.

When one looks down the road – what is the difference between $2.4 and $2.46 million dollars?

The figure is so large that cuts will be even more difficult and painful.

Giving US a chance to work closely with our peers and board members to create logical vehicles to raise funds for stipends and programs is well worth the venture and dollar for dollar – pound for pound is well worth the cost.

For the Record:

FFA serves 170 students per year.  They receive $17,000.00 annually via the Carl-Perkins Grant.  They receive $14,000.00 annually for the State Ag. Grant.  In addition, the FFA program has 5 of the classes paid for by R.O.P. program monies (1 full instructor).  FFA also receives $10,000.00 annually for their R.O.P. classes for supplies.  Finally, the FFA generates $4-5,000.00 annually through community service fundraisers.  THIS PROGRAM PAYS FOR ITSELF.  If we lose the FFA stipends, we will lose numerous weekend days where both advisors work with kids.  We will lose the summer support of Mr. John Ramos.  For example, students are on their own at the Solano County Fair this year, where in year’s past, John and Bill worked at the fair with the kids.

Sports serviced some 630 student-athletes this past year grades 7-12.

Please seriously consider reinstating the stipends I have listed in my new request and please reinstate stipend fund-raising.