Committee reviews coaching and extracurricular supplements; athletic director to recommend changes

Coffee County Schools’ compensation committee reviewed the district's coaching supplements and extracurricular stipends on June 4 and asked Athletic Director Mr. Parsley to return with recommendations on possible adjustments for next school year.

The review covered high school and middle school supplements, how supplement percentages are calculated and how booster-club funds are processed through the district. Mr. Parsley presented a packet showing last year’s supplements and explained that most supplements are paid as a percentage of the employee’s placement on the salary schedule; for example, the high school athletic director package totals 16% (split as 8% and 8%).

Why it matters: committee members said some programs now demand year-round work and suggested the district consider paying assistants in programs that currently rely on booster funding or unpaid volunteers. They singled out dance, cross country and tennis as programs that may warrant higher supplements because of the responsibilities and year-round commitments involved.

Key details cited during the meeting: - Dance, cross country and tennis head coaches were listed at 6.25% in the packet; some committee members suggested raising those to 8% to better reflect responsibilities. - The district uses percentage-based supplements so values rise with pay-scale increases; some nearby districts use flat lump-sum payments instead. - A separate 13% supplement for strength-and-conditioning was discussed; at the high school this program is tied to after-school offerings and to particular coaches' schedules. - Non-faculty (volunteer) coaches are paid at the district’s non-faculty pay column (labeled “0” on the salary schedule) rather than receiving step-based experience credits; they do receive district payroll checks when booster funds are provided through the district.

Booster funds and accountability: committee members and Mr. Parsley emphasized that booster-club payments intended for assistant coaches must be routed through the school district bookkeeping process rather than paid directly by boosters. That ensures district payroll and background-check requirements are met; Mr. Parsley confirmed that anyone on the paid list has been background checked.

Process and next steps: Mr. Parsley told the committee he will develop recommendations on which supplements to adjust and whether to add assistant stipends for programs that now rely on boosters. Committee members discussed whether to increase head-coach percentages or create paid assistant stipends; no vote took place. Mr. Parsley and staff will return with formal proposals for board consideration.

Ending: Members said they want to balance support across programs — from high-profile sports such as football to growing programs like dance and cheer — and to avoid shifting an outsized funding burden onto booster clubs and families.