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Board reviews disparities in sports offerings; archery startup and national travel funding discussed
Summary
Board members reviewed differences in extracurricular sports between Cumberland County High/ Middle and Stone Memorial schools, discussed adding archery at Cumberland County High School, and sought clarification on a request for district funding for a Stone Memorial national archery trip (maximum $1,500 policy applies).
Board members discussed perceived inequities in extracurricular offerings between Cumberland County High School and Stone Memorial High School, and asked staff to help expand opportunities such as archery and golf where feasible.
Staff described differences: Stone Memorial offers archery, dance team and e-sports that Cumberland County High did not have; Stone Memorial Middle School offered archery, cheerleading, fishing and wrestling while Cumberland County Middle School did not offer all of those. Staff said there is one countywide middle-school golf and tennis team because earlier participation was too low to sustain two teams; board members suggested participation may now support separate teams.
Board members encouraged starting an archery program at Cumberland County High School. Staff noted start-up equipment costs could be a barrier but said start-up grants (e.g., middle Tennessee grants, school grants, charitable funds) and volunteer support could help. Staff also said existing budget lines that fund coaching supplements and event duty pay could absorb some supplement costs.
Separately, Stone Memorial submitted a request for district support for a national archery competition. The board discussed the district policy that caps such funding at a $1,500 maximum and asked staff to clarify what specific expenses (hotel, travel, per-person costs) the school was seeking reimbursement for; staff said they had requested a clear dollar amount and would bring that back prior to any vote.
No final vote approving new sports or funding is recorded in the transcript excerpt; staff said they can manage team-start logistics and further clarify the archery travel reimbursement request before a formal decision.
