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Board weighs dedicated athletic coordinators, extracurriculars as a tool to retain students
Summary
Board members and staff debated whether hiring autonomous athletic coordinators at high schools and expanding extracurricular programming could keep students from leaving the district for other schools.
Central Consolidated School board members spent a substantial portion of their April 17 retreat on athletics and extracurricular programming as a student‑retention strategy.
Why it came up: Board members and administrators said students are leaving for nearby districts in part because of athletic and program opportunities there. "The only thing that's gonna change the circumstance within Shiprock is a massive economic development," one board member said, adding that better local programs could make families keep their children in district schools.
District proposal: Several board members and administrators described a proposal to create stand‑alone, full‑time athletic coordinator positions at each high school (and linked middle schools). The suggested role would be non‑teaching, responsible for building programs, aligning middle‑to‑high‑school pipelines, coordinating schedules and facilities, and supporting coaches — tasks currently done by teachers with stipends.
Board and staff rationale: Supporters said the change could reduce teacher burnout, improve program continuity and retain athletes who now leave for other districts. One board member and former athletic director argued a dedicated coordinator could keep even a few dozen students who otherwise transfer for sports, and that the student‑retention value could offset a coordinator’s salary.
Fiscal questions and tradeoffs: The finance director and board members discussed whether the change could be achieved by redeploying existing FTEs or would require new funding. The finance director said a careful mapping of school‑level positions, grant timing and budget windows is needed; the board asked finance to review each school’s staffing and suggest how to realign positions with minimal new cost.
Extracurriculars beyond sports: Board members and staff also discussed music, FFA, robotics, AP/IB options, and other activities as retention tools. Several pointed to programs that draw families to other districts and recommended districtwide efforts to replicate successful local programs in areas with high demand.
Ending: No hiring decision was made. The board asked staff to return with a costed plan and options for creating these coordinator roles either through reallocation of positions or targeted funding, and to provide metrics to judge whether coordinators increase retention.
