Lebanon board approves short-term advance to cover athletic fund deficits after debate

The Lebanon City Schools Board of Education voted to advance year‑end balances into the Lebanon High School and Lebanon Junior High athletic funds to eliminate deficits and give administrators time to propose a longer‑term fix.

Board members approved an advance after discussion about whether the district should transfer funds permanently or make a temporary advance while administrators and a small working group study alternatives. The vote followed a failed motion to transfer the funds permanently.

School staff told the board the shortfall had been reduced by a reimbursement payment from the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). “We received a check from, OHSAA, … the actual amount is less than what was transferred last month … now down to 13,700,” a staff member said during the meeting. Administrators said they had previously advanced roughly $20,000 at the close of the fiscal year to eliminate negative balances and had since received OHSAA reimbursement that lowered the net amount needed.

Administrators and the athletic director outlined why the athletic fund is strained: participation‑fee revenue and gate receipts no longer cover growing annual costs, especially for supplementals and game officials. Staff provided the board with recent figures showing the district collected about $182,000 in high‑school participation fees last year while spending roughly $375,000 on coaching supplementals, and that junior‑high participation fees of about $56,000 were paired with supplemental costs near $115,000.

Athletic officials also cited rising costs for game officials. “We have seen an $18,000 annual increase in officials cost alone,” a staff presenter said, noting officials’ fees now make up a significant portion of annual athletic expenses. The district also emphasized that much of the athletic budget relies on gate receipts, which have fallen and can be unreliable: the district receives reimbursement for actual expenses at playoff games but not the ticket revenue.

Board members debated two paths: (1) permanently transferring funds now to make the athletic funds whole, which some members said would set a precedent for ongoing transfers, and (2) making a temporary advance now while a small board‑staff working group recommends a long‑term funding model. Several board members preferred an advance to create urgency for a structural solution. One board member said, “I think it will be fair for me to say that Karen echoed the same concern today while I was in her office. … Setting a precedent would be a concern.” Another said, “I'd much rather see this be an advance now and change that to a transfer later once we come up with what that looks like.”

After an initial motion to transfer the funds failed on a recorded roll call, the board voted to approve the advance. The advance was described by staff as sufficient to clear the athletic fund deficits after accounting for the recent OHSAA reimbursement.

Administrators asked for permission to form a small working group — staff plus up to two board members — to review how other districts handle athletic funding and to return recommendations within several months. The advance was presented as a short‑term measure while that review proceeds.

The board’s action clears the immediate negative balances and begins a process to consider changes including: directing a higher share of participation‑fee revenue to the athletic fund, examining how boosters and gate receipts are used, and identifying operational savings or fee structure changes that would reduce reliance on uncertain ticket sales.

The motion to advance was approved by roll call; the board then voted to adjourn the meeting.