[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6564343,"mediaKeyId","3290972-bf489f7f3f48c5cc94a83bdccd24fd61","parentId",3290972,"title","Athens Area SD coaches outline growth of strength-and-conditioning and powerlifting programs; ask for modest summer resources","audioSeconds",609,"startMs",1503000,"endMs",2112000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3290972-bf489f7f3f48c5cc94a83bdccd24fd61&start=1503&end=2112","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3290972-bf489f7f3f48c5cc94a83bdccd24fd61/thumbnail_1503000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6564343/Pennsylvania/Athens-Area-SD-coaches-outline-growth-of-strength-and-conditioning-and-powerlifting-programs-ask-for-modest-summer-resources","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564343-10aee859820a2627b2db72f1d4f01561/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178619&Signature=c4Nd1kSU~BWdzUo5udf9p5jLhES1mqQfojBPC8eNeId-APcSniGIcj17EWRkxf87d60e6K8wbZkkkczAacCRtbTo9q70DpH0IbR000UknbpbAECCct5MWM1oLzqJTuV1XvxTnDXEAhxL5OaS3i0rZqtX0zLHfbEUSGypSwzcoseaJxO1~YxHrExoXDgeWJp75YULK3GIvSE7NiERSxwY4KXWRc3W5yEJfr9Qq6iV15iVnJq8tUOEWuaQEMd7yDlw2sqzqRHuY472wE3S719VeJrU5nkDubNg7NAGFvq7jVeHeLyR9B9GlCNaaZw45M-yeLr~~2ovDn9PiQKdHGmyMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Athens Area School District","date","2025-05-13T22:47:14Z","article","At the district’s May meeting, strength-and-conditioning coaches described a program that has grown rapidly in 18 months, is using a TeamBuilder app to manage workouts, and is seeking modest additional time and budget to meet demand and maintain safety.

Nicole Golden, introduced as a strength-and-conditioning coach, told the board the staff are “the weight room people” and described the program’s daily schedule and role supporting multiple sports. \"We're just like support for your teams. We are the weight room people,\" Golden said, introducing the coaches and athletes who joined the meeting.

Kai, the program’s lead coach, described how the program moved from paper logs to the TeamBuilder app so athletes can view sport-specific workouts on personal devices. He said the program operates Monday through Thursday with additional half-hour sessions, and that capacity is strained: \"We cap it at 12. So it's a pretty big difference. 19 is crowded,\" he said, referencing March attendance figures.

Why it matters

Coaches told the board that the program supports athletic performance, injury prevention and athlete confidence, and that its rapid growth creates safety and scheduling challenges. Coaches requested more coaching hours or budget to avoid overcrowded sessions and to run private team sessions and summer clinics.

Program details and results

- TeamBuilder accounts: coaches reported about 260 athletes have accounts and programs in the system.
- Capacity and attendance: in March the program recorded an average of 19 athletes per session while the safe cap is 12, producing occasional sessions with 20-plus athletes in limited space and supervision.
- Summer plans: coaches proposed summer lifting clinics including instruction in Olympic lifts (deadlift, power clean, snatch) and open gym hours, and said they had surveyed demand for morning and afternoon sessions.
- Powerlifting results: the district’s nascent powerlifting team competed in multiple meets this year; coaches reported ten total trophies at a regional meet (six first-place, three second-place, one third-place) and said the women’s team placed second at the state meet. Coach Golden said several athletes qualified for nationals and that one athlete broke two state records.

Coaches emphasized safety and supervision as the chief constraint on serving more athletes: Kai said there was typically one coach for crowded sessions and that more staff hours would allow safer, staggered sessions and additional private team work.

Board and administration response

Board members asked about attendance data and reporting; the coaches said they already track attendance in the TeamBuilder app and offered to generate regular reports. “We can absolutely generate reports because we have the TeamBuilder,” one coach told the board.

The administration acknowledged the program’s competitive success and said they will consider modest budget or scheduling support. Coaches said they plan to partner with football and local teams for summer training and a combined meet planned for July 26.

Student-athlete examples

Coaches highlighted individual progress as evidence of the program’s impact: Braden Pettit, a swimmer, dropped four seconds in the 200 individual medley and improved in the 100 breaststroke; Sean Peters moved from bench-pressing 135 to 245 in several months while also improving in track and wrestling, coaches said. Several student athletes introduced themselves to the board during the presentation.

Next steps

Coaches asked the district for additional scheduled coaching hours in the school year and modest summertime support to run clinics and private team sessions; they also plan to provide the board with attendance reports on request.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 13th School Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Coaches described a rapidly expanding strength-and-conditioning program using a TeamBuilder app, capacity and safety limits in the weight room, plans for summer clinics focused on Olympic lifts, and recent success by the high-school powerlifting team at state meets.","taxTitle","Athens Area SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",72344,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6564348,"Athens Area School District board reviews preliminary budget showing $2.755 million shortfall; places budget on display",253,2497000,2750000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3290972-bf489f7f3f48c5cc94a83bdccd24fd61&start=2497&end=2750","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3290972-bf489f7f3f48c5cc94a83bdccd24fd61/thumbnail_2497000.jpg","/articles/6564348/Pennsylvania/Athens-Area-School-District-board-reviews-preliminary-budget-showing-2755-million-shortfall-places-budget-on-display","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564348-2c969cefe33ebc08b2dd05a37027b476/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178619&Signature=EwIOlbYhbvuvF8bdD2gHIoDXHaQlKIWtcWTN5fU2mRo7ISJ7mIPNUGQx2azKbPm7cy4g43elRHJj9ST-aEJ0gdq4ZscvaXomKU9RLTkTqMYhCg~s-U7ZP9MVypFI49ByXIRgq0ZDXbXPmu8-1aYOtcnPsCYmvVvjkfWOWR8YFIKaMIX98enSgjI3a-iWfRQhXPXzsUpZy~AGKqHUF80QrEiAl36gdu5Y9c2wMimAKd5~esVVLBPKy7Z7i45wMIJJkVA6eCCR76LbyXiGJFXHYgkTi2WlSuroCbYAhdAbJ5UpWRZbf~Fab862~O-l80Skvc2eWzthddFySoCS9Vxtjw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Athens Area School District board on May (preliminary meeting) reviewed a proposed preliminary budget that district leaders said started with an estimated $4.3 million deficit and, after adjustments, showed a remaining shortfall of about $2,755,000; the board voted to place that preliminary budget on public display ahead of a final vote in June.

Superintendent Dr. Sage said the district “started with a deficit of approximately $4,300,000” and that leaders have been working to reduce that gap. “We have to actually make some hard decisions,” Dr. Sage told the board during the presentation, emphasizing use of one-time federal relief and the need for ongoing savings.

The presentation, led by Dr. Sage with business manager Doreen Secor assisting, traced the gap to four main drivers: the use and exhaustion of one-time ESSER relief funds, modest local tax increases during the pandemic period, rising salary and benefit costs and a sharp increase in cyber charter tuition payments. Secor reviewed figures that the district used about $8.4 million in ESSER and related one-time federal relief over recent years and that health-care, special-education and contractual salary increases were major ongoing expenditure pressures.

Why it matters

District leaders said the exhaustion of one-time federal funds, growth in cyber charter costs and only modest tax increases during and after the pandemic have left the district dependent on fund balances unless recurring revenues are raised or expenditures reduced. Dr. Sage said the district has reorganized staff through attrition and identified other savings but still faces a multi-million-dollar shortfall.

Key numbers and proposals

- Initial deficit identified when budget work began: approximately $4,300,000.
- Adjusted shortfall presented as the preliminary figure to be addressed: $2,755,000.
- Proposed tax increase to the Act 1 index (5.8%), described in the presentation as 3.14 mills, expected to generate an estimated $876,829.
- Fund balance estimates stated in the presentation: an estimated general fund balance of $7,900,000 at the upcoming June measurement and a projected balance of $4,850,000 by June 30 of the later projection year.

Dr. Sage noted the district had increased millage modestly in prior years and that the board’s proposed rise to the Act 1 index this year is aimed at narrowing recurring shortfalls. Board members asked several technical questions about fund balances and the district’s flexibility to use assigned reserves; Doreen Secor explained that portions of the balance are assigned for specific purposes and therefore not all available to cover operating deficits.

On cyber charter costs, Dr. Sage and Secor said the district’s payments have grown materially from prior years; Dr. Sage said, “cyber charter schools are not free, and they have a definite impact on rural schools and their budgets.” Board members and the administration discussed the role of state-level changes and potential relief but made no policy commitments beyond the local budget actions.

Board action and next steps

After the budget presentation and discussion, the board voted to place the preliminary budget on public display, as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) process, and scheduled final adoption for the June meeting. The vote to display the preliminary budget carried with the following recorded votes: Christine Middlecamp (yes), Mr. Johnson (yes), Mr. Jones (yes), Mrs. Minnick (yes), Mr. Owen (yes), Mrs. Smart (yes), Mr. Tarasnowski (yes), Mrs. Cooper (yes), Mr. Frisbie (yes).

The administration told the board it would continue to refine revenue estimates and examine additional expenditure reductions and that the final budget could change prior to the June 17 final vote. Dr. Sage and Secor said they would present updated figures and that some changes might improve the outlook but that the district is still planning for a multi-million-dollar gap.

Votes at a glance (other board actions taken at the meeting)

- Employee settlement (employee #1460): board approved a settlement agreement authorizing payment of $8,750; vote recorded as unanimous (all board members present voted yes). This was handled under the solicitor’s recommendation.
- Election of treasurer: the board re-elected Mrs. Smart as treasurer for a one-year term; motion carried unanimously.
- Personnel approvals: the board approved a slate of personnel actions including resignations, support and professional hires, summer student employment and athletic contracts; the personnel package passed on a recorded roll-call vote.
- Contracts and agreements: the board approved multiple renewals and service agreements (Bradford-Title Head Start sponsorship, Bayada Nursing contracts, occupational therapy services and others). One item—the ESS subcontract—was tabled to June at the administration’s request.

What the board did not decide

The board voted only to place the preliminary budget on display; it did not adopt a final budget at this meeting. The final vote is scheduled for the June meeting after the required 30-day public display period.

Background and context

Dr. Sage and Secor described three structural pressures that contributed to the deficit: (1) the end of one-time federal relief (ESSER); (2) steady increases in salary and benefits (the administration referenced contractually driven salary steps and an 8.2% health-insurance increase cited in the materials); and (3) a significant rise in cyber charter tuition payments compared with earlier years. The administration said they reduced non-staff spending and reorganized through attrition (five teaching positions noted) to lower the projected increases in the operating budget.

The board will reconvene June 17 for final budget adoption. The administration said it will supply updated fund-balance and revenue information and expects to continue looking for savings and state-level adjustments that could alter the final numbers.","Superintendent and business manager told the board the district started with an approximately $4.3 million deficit and reduced it to about $2.755 million through staff attrition, spending adjustments and a proposed millage increase; the board voted to place the preliminary budget on public display and to raise millage to the Act 1 index.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Athens Area SD coaches outline growth of strength-and-conditioning and powerlifting programs; ask for modest summer resources

Athens Area School District board reviews preliminary budget showing $2.755 million shortfall; places budget on display