Parents and coaches press board to increase speech and debate coach pay during public comment
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Summary
Multiple speakers urged the board to address low compensation for speech and debate coaches, citing year-round commitment, long travel, judge duties and competitive success. Coaches said a summer memorandum of activity promised last year was not implemented.
Parents, coaches and a former coach told the Rapid City Area School Board Feb. 4 that speech and debate coaching stipends and contract language should be revisited in the district's upcoming negotiations with the Rapid City Education Association.
Jennifer Berger, a parent of three district students, described the time commitments for Stevens High School's speech and debate program: practices run about five hours per week across a season that stretches from September through March, including three-seven local tournaments and eight-to-ten "East River" competitions that often require leaving Thursday evening and returning Saturday night. Berger asked the board to consider a pay raise or restructured stipend for coaches to reflect travel, judging duties, chaperoning and weekend hours.
Charlotte Vanderwall Dunnegan, who said she has been part of the Stevens coaching staff for eight years, echoed the time commitment and described the team's recent growth (from five to 22 regularly competing students) and competitive success at the state and national level. Dunnegan told the board the superintendent had told coaches last summer a memorandum of activity could be added to coaching contracts pending negotiations, but she said that step did not occur.
Why it matters: Coaches and parents argued that current compensation is aligned to a short-term activity while the real workload is nearly year-round and includes significant travel and out-of-school responsibilities. The speakers asked the board to consider the request as part of bargaining with the district's teacher association.
Board members thanked the speakers and noted the timing ahead of negotiations. Board members also emphasized that any contractual changes would require mutual agreement in bargaining; the board asked administration to take the request under consideration.
Direct attributions from the meeting: "The season runs from September through March," Jennifer Berger said, describing regular five-hour weekly practices; "The coaches instill so much confidence, perseverance, and resiliency in our kids," she added. Coach Dunnegan noted Stevens had sent students to nationals consistently and said, "This past summer at nationals...Stevens senior finished fifth in the nation."