ELGIN In a cost-cutting move announced Monday, School District U46 has eliminated some middle school and high school sports programs and staff.
However, district officials say they have no idea how much it costs to run the district's athletic programs.
(Andrew A. Nelles/For Sun-Times Media)
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• Latest U46 budget cuts include sports
Costs of stipends and estimates of price tag for U46 sports
Depending on the coach's years of experience and the sport:
High school varsity, assistant varsity and junior varsity coaches earn about $1,700 to $10,000 per year.
Freshman and sophomore coaches earn from about $1,300 to $4,200 per year.
Middle school head coaches and assistant coaches make anywhere from about $1,800 to $2,000 per year.
Costs to the district for each varsity soccer team estimated to be about $300 per trip for away games and $600 for new soccer balls, according to Ken Hall, varsity soccer coach at Larkin High School.
On top of the district paying the team's transportation costs, Brian Przybylski, varsity badminton coach at Larkin, estimated that the district spends a little under $1,000 on equipment per year on badminton at each school.
Football coaches at local high schools estimated that the district probably spends from $20,000 to $25,000 per year on each football team for the costs of helmets and shoulder pads, coaches' stipends, maintenance and transportation.
"Why should she try out for anything next year?" asked Cindy Carvey, a parent at Eastview Middle School, whose daughter was on the school's "B" basketball team that was eliminated. "What motivation have you just given these kids? Absolutely none."
Cutting sports teams creates a "vicious cycle," U46 parent Karla Karstensen said. "Kids are going to be getting bored and getting into trouble. They have nothing to keep them busy, it's a whole long spiral of not good."
"My girls work their tails off inside the classroom and outside on the dance floor, and it would be very disappointing if they had to cut the program because they have put so much time and energy into something they love," said Jamie Peldonia, Bartlett High School dance team coach.
"Wow, what are they thinking?" Steve Sabon, a U46 parent, asked of the decision to make sports cuts. "Maybe the district should think about budget cuts in payroll or higher-ups and consider holding 'meetings' onsite instead of offsite like at Villa Olivia" in Bartlett, he said. "Maybe they simply spend too much time in meetings trying to fix a problem that affects all of us and they should spend more time listening to the suggestions of the people on where cuts could/should be made. We all need to give a little under the circumstance, but let's keep it fair."
"As a badminton coach who expects to have a great season this year, I will definitely not be happy if I get cut," Larkin High School varsity badminton coach Brian Przybylski said. The team has "a great relationship with each other. It is great to see the diversity of girls that play the game and their level of friendship in the hallways."
"We do not have the costs associated with providing all of these sports at the middle or high school level," Tony Sanders, district spokesman, said Tuesday evening. He said the district doesn't regularly track the costs of equipment, uniforms, transportation, tournaments or maintenance for each sports team. He went on to say that The Courier-News' request to provide the costs of every sports program at U46's five high schools and eight middle schools in one afternoon was "unreasonable."
Yet the district decided to eliminate all middle school "B" athletic teams last week and may eliminate more sports teams at the high school level come this year and next, according to U46 coaches and parents.
However, when asked by The Courier-News about why some sports were eliminated if U46 didn't know how much they cost, Sanders said, "reductions were made after discussions were held with principals and athletic directors about how we can reduce."
The district does keep track of coaches' stipends for each team. Many coaches whom The Courier-News talked with Tuesday argued that the district is cutting "B" teams at the middle school level and possibly at the high school level not because of the costs of supporting those teams, but because of the coaching stipends attached to them. Last year, the district spent $3.6 million on teacher stipends, most of which was doled out to athletic coaches, according to district data.
Mike Sitter, Elgin High School's head varsity basketball coach, receives a stipend of $6,000, and his assistants receive stipends of $3,000 to $4,000 each. The head varsity basketball coach at Waukegan High School, by comparison, receives a stipend of $15,000. Sitter said he uses about $2,000 of his stipend to pay for uniforms and pizza parties for the team.
Ken Hall, the head varsity soccer coach for both boys and girls at Larkin High School in Elgin, said he receives a stipend of $5,000. He said this is $2,000 less than what he made as an assistant soccer coach at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream. Aside from his stipend, Hall said the district picks up the tab for transportation to and from games, which costs about $300 per trip, and the bill for 12 new soccer balls, totalling about $600. He said the school's booster club pays for uniforms.
Brian Przybylski, varsity badminton coach at Larkin, agreed that his stipend about $4,100 is the biggest tab the district picks up in regard to his team. He said $1,000 of that is spent annually on his girls' warmup clothing and uniforms. In addition to the district paying the team's transportation costs, he estimated that it probably spends a little under $1,000 on equipment per year. A few years ago, he said the district covered a one-time expense installation of poles in the floor for nets which cost about $3,000.
Football coaches at local high schools agree that football is the most expensive U46 sports program to operate. They estimated that the district probably spends anywhere from $20,000 to $25,000 per year on each football team, taking into account the cost of helmets and shoulder pads, coaches' stipends, building and grounds maintenance and transportation. Head varsity football coaches made from about $6,000 to $7,300 this year. However, coaches said they probably spend from their own pockets, in combination with events that raise money for the football team, anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 per season. Coaches said they hope that their teams make the playoffs, because each of those playoff games can bring in from $25,000 to $30,000 from tickets sales and concessions, about 40 percent of which goes to the team.
Depending on the coach's years of experience and the sport, varsity, assistant varsity and junior varsity coaches made anywhere from $1,700 to $10,000 per year; freshman and sophomore coaches from $1,300 to $4,200 per year; and middle school head coaches and assistant coaches anywhere from about $1,800 to $2,000 per year.
All in all, the district's main savings appears to be stipend-related, according to athletic coaches.
Through the district's recent sports-related cuts middle school "B" teams, middle school coaches, transportation and some assistant coaches at the high school level it is saving approximately $276,000, according to Ron Ally, the district's chief financial officer.
As Sanders pointed out Tuesday evening in an e-mail, the district "cannot reduce the stipends specified in (its) agreement with the Elgin Teachers Association."
However, it can "reduce programs" in order to reduce the cost of stipends.
The savings on sports may rise if more teams are cut and/or more coaches are eliminated. However, nothing's been set in stone. The district is only beginning to look at the 2010-11 budget, according to district officials.