The Lompoc Unified School District is facing a severe lack of cash. The situation was already developing due to falling enrollment and the continual difficulty the state legislature has with basic math, but has been exacerbated by the economic mess. A mess which looks to be getting worse.
In addition, the City of Lompoc is looking at a 5.7 million dollar deficit for the upcoming budget year. The City has taken some serious body blows financially, especially in terms of sales taxes. A number of businesses have closed in town because of mis-management / malfeasance by headquarters outfits outside of the area despite the profitability of the local stores.
The upshot is that both entities are looking to down-size and sports is one of the most likely areas for that to happen.
The city sports reductions, unlike most of the rest of the budget, are fairly predictable - increased use fees for facilities, deferred park maintenance, reduction of Park & Rec activities with higher participation fees for those that remain, etc. . Primarily, the groups who will feel the pinch are the "large" organized sports communities like AYSO, Babe Ruth/Little League, and LGSA.
Much more tricky is the situation facing the schools. Part of the problem is that the top management of the district is in flux - there is an Interim Superintendent of Schools (Marilyn Corey), an Interim Assistant Superintendent (Gary Mortimer) on the business / operations side of the house, and the other Assistant Superintendent [Education Services] (Tanya Opfermann) received a 'pink slip' around the beginning of the month. Also two of the five members of the Board of Education are new, having been elected last November.
The continuing decline in enrollment, more than 200 students / year, for the last several years, already had some folks talking about the need to close more schools, perhaps even a high school. And no, not Maple. Another factor involved in the equation, is the fact that VAFB has been working to clear away all the activities outside the cantonment gate, leading to some thought that maybe VMS (now 7-8th grades) might close with Cabrillo becoming a 7-12 full (Junior/Senior) High School - perhaps even going to a year-round schedule.
In any event, the already tight athletic budgets in the district have, by recent Board decision, been reduced by 30%. The Athletic programs are also effected by cuts in other areas - transportation (travel availability & cost), printing (programs, tickets), administrative staff, and more. Deeper reductions may, and probably will, come. Indeed the travel question has prompted some to suggest a revisit of the proposed CIF re-alignment now working its way through the system.
The question is where to cut.
Among the suggestions / ideas heard floating through the ether are:
1) Eliminate frosh and / or JV teams.
2) Eliminate the seventh period class for sports teams.
3) Pay to play.
4) Reduce team roster sizes to bare minimums.
5) Eliminate certain low-revenue, high cost (especially insurance/ equipment) sports.
6) Eliminate "low-participation" sports.
7) Reduce or eliminate coaching stipends.
8) Make more teams pay for their own transportation, and/or eliminate overnight road trips or trips beyond a certain mileage.
9) Consolidate the high schools, or consolidate the sports programs {LomBrillo BrOnqs, anyone ?}.
10) Have each high school 'specialize' in several sports, with the right of students from the other school to participate on the teams (similar to some of the Academy programs).
11) Eliminate the school sports programs altogether, at least at the elementary and middle school levels.
12)Fund-raise, Fund-raise, FUND-RAISE !!!!!! [A concept made much more difficult in the current economy].
In any event, the best spectator 'sport' this spring might be watching the budget 'acrobatics'. The BoE usually meets on every other Tuesday, and the City Council will hold a major budgeting session on March 31st.
Anyway, that's how I see it --- el stato
To join the discussion, and participate in our poll about what to cut - go to the LLR Forum - Budget Crunch discussion board.
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