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Athletic director reports steady participation, rising equipment costs and reliance on fundraisers
Summary
McFarland High School’s athletic director presented three‑year participation figures, described program accomplishments and outlined budget pressures including helmet costs and a temporary freeze on uniform purchases funded by booster and Spartan sponsor accounts.
Paul Tarnitzer, McFarland High School athletic director, briefed the board on participation numbers, seasonal highlights, and athletic finances and facilities.
Tarnitzer presented three‑year participation tables for fall, winter and spring sports and said the district offers roughly 25 activities (sanctioned and club) for about 700–750 students. He noted participation fluctuates with class enrollment and gender balance — for example, an incoming freshman class had more boys than girls, which affected some spring sport totals.
He described recent team accomplishments: D2 state championships in boys swimming (back‑to‑back), a D2 state jazz dance championship, boys hockey reaching state, volleyball reaching a D1 regional final and multiple sectional and regional advances across fall, winter and spring seasons. The district hosted large events — a 16‑team Badger girls tennis tournament and a D2 girls swim sectional — which bring visitors and modest revenue but require substantial staff support.
On finances, Tarnitzer listed major athletic costs: coaching salaries, transportation, officials, supplies and athletic training services. He said a new football helmet costs about $385 (larger sizes cost more) and helmets require reconditioning roughly every other year at about $35–$42 per helmet. Tarnitzer said the district added a helmet reconditioning fee for football to help cover those costs and that boosters, Spartan sponsor proceeds and a Bill Garvey Memorial golf outing have subsidized uniform and equipment purchases.
Tarnitzer described a temporary freeze on new uniform purchases this year except where necessary; some programs used fundraising (booster and Spartan sponsor accounts) to fill gaps. He emphasized the district aims to remain fiscally responsible while maintaining participation opportunities, and he described services from the athletic trainer, Jay Hansen, and partnerships for co‑op teams with Monona Grove (wrestling) and the Oregon district (lacrosse).
Board members asked about season‑to‑season retention, academic eligibility and the mix of sanctioned versus club sports. Tarnitzer said academic ineligibility is infrequent and the district emphasizes a 1.75 GPA and no failing grades for eligibility; many eligibility issues are incomplete grades that get resolved. He said multiple factors — enrollment, student interest and competing opportunities — affect retention from freshman to senior years.
Facilities were described as strong for a school the district’s size; Tarnitzer highlighted new concession and restroom space at Wabis Intermediate and an expanded rink. He closed by thanking community supporters and volunteers and said the department will try to make this an annual or semiannual update to the board.
No board action was requested; the session was informational.
