Oakmont Facing Cuts That Hurt

Oakmont Facing Cuts That Hurt Cheerleaders, golfers upset with plan to spike programs

+ click to enlarge News staff photo by DONEEN DURLING Cheerleader Sarah Mathews speaks out about what cheering has meant to her and her teammates. ‘I have become incredibly persevering and determined, and it has shown me that I am capable of more than I think.’ Sarah Mathews, about what she’s learned as a cheerleader Doneen Durling News Correspondent ASHBURNHAM  The Ashburnham-Westminster Re­gional School Committee was met with tears Tuesday evening as concerned athletes and parents came forward to discuss what could be done to thwart proposed cuts. “We know there is tremendous concern about what is going on in the budget discussion,” said School Com­mittee Chairman David Christian­son. “You folks need to understand that we have been working on this just about weekly since the very end of January. We have tried since last fall to solicit public input. We are not done yet.” A district budget of $28.9 million for fiscal 2017 was certified on March 15, with an assessment of $7.2 million for Ashburnham and $9.5 million for Westminster. The School Committee and administration are currently working to close a $1.2 million budget gap. Christianson spoke of proposed cuts to staffing that call for a minimum of 15, and a maximum of 24, teaching positions to be eliminated. “Despite the discussion of idle threats, we do not have reserves. We do not have access to reserved funds we have had in the past. We do not have any certainty of additional funds from either town,” said Christianson. “Both towns are strapped in their own way, so we have a real issue with the gap we are trying to close here.” The School Committee first set the bar for the budget discussion by unanimously voting to place a cap on the number of School Choice students they would accept in the district. This followed member Keith Glenny’s motion to accept School Choice students and to cap the number at 200 districtwide. The committee had previously debated how many students to accept to help fill the budget gap for fiscal 2017. Christianson said the district currently has 198 School Choice students, with 28 set to graduate from high school in June. Superintendent Gary Mazzola said he has met with state Rep. Todd Smola, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Mazzola was informed that the House “Version 2” budget will come out on April 13 where a 3 percent increase may be allocated. “We’ll see what the numbers are,” said Mazzola, “but it’s not looking great.” Besides teacher positions, proposed cuts to the budget include: basketball and ice hockey uniforms; use of an athletic trainer vendor as opposed to EMTs; boys and girls freshman basketball; fall and winter cheering; boys and girls tennis; golf; district supplies and library materials; textbooks; hardware replacement; Internet; transportation; supplies for the marching band; professional development expenses; and adviser stipends. Several cheerleaders stepped forward to plead their cause against the proposed cuts. Sarah Mathews, a senior at Oakmont Regional High School, said she has been a cheerleader for as long as she can remember. She said she has gained many skills as a cheerleader. “I have become incredibly persevering and determined, and it has shown me that I am capable of more than I think, and that family is not determined by wealth.” A tearful Mathews said her team has shown her unconditional love and support. She begged the committee to not let this be cheering’s last year. Jessica Jalbert said her daughter is a member of the team, and that she has been a cheer mom, assistant coach and board member over the last 10 years. “I have watched my daughter and her friends go from shy little girls to athletes,” Jalbert said. She said that from the age of 5 her daughter’s dream was to become an Oakmont cheerleader. Jalbert said the girls have combined their efforts to become active members of the community, participating in fundraising together when a member of the community was diagnosed with cancer, or when a family lost everything in a fire. “As a current member of the Ashburnham-Westminster community, I would not want to see any child lose their dream,” said Jalbert tearfully. “Dreams start small as a child and flourish with positive reinforcement and possibilities. Please don’t hinder our children’s dreams.” Christianson told the assembly that at one point athletes were paying high user fees, some as high as $1,800. Currently, 50 percent of athletics are paid for through user fees. “This year, cuts are being considered because there is no substitution other than to potentially lay off other people. It’s not a threat. It really is the point we are at,” said Christianson. “The increased cost and revenue are just not matching,” Mazzola said. The superintendent explained that around $4,000 was earned through user fees for the different sports, and $10,000 is paid to each coach. “It’s not discriminatory,” said Mazzola. “It’s just that the revenue does not support what we have to pay for the coaches and transportation and all.” Parents asked how they might keep the sports alive. Christianson said there could be user fee increases, but the danger was that some athletes would be unable to afford to play and, therefore, opt out, and team numbers would drop. The cost of fall cheering is $7,564; winter cheering is $5,757. “It’s maddening, because as small as that number seems against everything we are doing, it’s tied directly to teachers and staff in the classrooms,” said Christianson. Renee Caldwell spoke for the golf team, which was one of the proposed program cuts. She asked what the cost was for funding the golf team. Mazzola said it was $7,419 based on 20 participants. Caldwell asked if there was a way to cut from the athletic department as opposed to cutting certain teams. She suggested that fundraising be done across the board to keep all sports going rather than picking on certain programs. Christianson said there is no booster club or any organized fundraising group for sports currently in the district. “Maybe there is some organization that needs to be done here,” he said. Mazzola said golf, along with cheering, is considered a lifetime activity, or an activity that can be done outside of school where a player wouldn’t need a team to compete. Caldwell argued that golf played outside of the district’s umbrella gets difficult when a student is seeking a golf scholarship, just as a football or basketball player might seek scholarships. Caldwell said golf is a low-cost sport in which students have their own equipment and Westminster donates the golf course. She noted the costs, saying, “It’s basically the coach’s stipend and transportation to the away matches.” Caldwell said team members bought their own jackets when they won the championship this year. She said she understood the budget crises but argued that cutting some sports instead of other sports was leaving some kids out. “I would like to see it be a community coming together and fundraise for sports in general and keep everybody, because kids who want to go to school on a golf scholarship or a cheerleading scholarship are just as important as the football players and the basketball players.” Christianson said that as one who benefited from the booster club while he was in high school he did not understand how any district could run without one. “I can tell you that in years not so long ago when the booster club in various forms was able to supplant or supplement $40,000 to $60,000 at a time to benefit a wide range of sports. We can only advocate for that. As an individual, I would certainly support that,” said Christianson. Parents and students left the meeting with a thread of hope that funds might be raised by forming a booster club. The discussion will be continued April 26 at 7 p.m.