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With junior-high football removed, Weber staff recommend adding boys volleyball to meet Title IX balance
Summary
District staff recommended adding boys volleyball at junior highs after football was removed, citing Title IX participant balance concerns, a unanimous nine-member committee recommendation and estimated equipment costs.
District staff recommended adding boys volleyball at Weber School District junior high schools after removal of football from the junior-high athletics program, citing Title IX participation balance concerns and a committee recommendation.
Nut graf: Presenters said removing junior‑high football reduced male participation by roughly 208 students, shifting the district participation rate to an estimated 57% female and 43% male at the junior‑high level, which staff said falls outside acceptable Title IX variance and could be addressed by adding boys volleyball.
The district said participation figures from the prior period showed about 1,258 female participants and 1,180 male participants when football was included; removing football's approximately 208 participants would reduce male participation to about 972 and raise the female share to roughly 57% vs. 43% male. "Taking football away ... puts us out of compliance with Title IX," the presenter said.
A nine‑member committee — including Carrie Sanders, Andy Hoskins, Trevor Hall and Bill Otage — surveyed staff and the community and unanimously recommended adding boys volleyball; junior‑high principals and assistant principals also supported the addition. Staff discussed other replacement options (soccer, volleyball, golf, lacrosse, wrestling) and cited pros and cons for each, including facility and club‑sport availability.
Budget estimates presented: equipment and first‑year costs were estimated at $6,794.43 per school and $67,944.30 district‑wide for boys volleyball. Staff said district funds remaining in football accounts could be used toward start‑up costs and contrasted volleyball's estimated per‑school cost with a higher per‑school figure cited for football equipment and reconditioning, which a presenter described as about $50,000 per school.
Ending: Staff said they would bring a recommendation to the board; the district has not recorded a board vote during the study session. If approved, staff said the sport would align junior‑high offerings with high‑school pathways and help rebuild high‑school participation pipelines.
