Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Sports topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board discusses potential Lazar middle‑school sports program; trustees cite costs and facility constraints
Summary
Trustees discussed whether to add middle‑school sports at Lazar Middle School. Board members and administrators highlighted positives — student camaraderie and local access — and concerns over funding, gym time, impact on town rec leagues and the need for stakeholder coordination; no formal action was taken.
Board members on March 11 opened a discussion about creating an athletics program for Lazar Middle School, prompted by community interest in girls’ basketball and other middle‑school offerings.
John Petruzzino, speaking on behalf of interested trustees and parents, said a middle‑school program could promote camaraderie and provide local, lower‑cost options compared with some travel leagues. “I think personally, it would be great to have school middle‑school sports,” Petruzzino said, but he added the change would require coordination, funding and careful planning.
Trustees raised several concerns: gym and facility scheduling, the administrative and coaching costs of launching multiple sports, the potential effects on existing town organizations such as the Montville Broncos, Montville baseball and softball associations, lacrosse and soccer clubs, and whether participation might be too low to sustain programs. Several members said adding middle‑school sports would likely require external funding or a voter‑approved additional funding question (a “second question”) to become sustainable.
Dr. Gorman said discussions with neighboring districts about shared services are already under way for other programs and could help inform any athletics expansion, but she cautioned the process would take time. Board members agreed more information is needed before any formal vote: scope (which sports), estimated costs, scheduling impacts, coach availability and conversations with local recreation leagues and travel clubs.
No formal motion or vote was taken; trustees asked administrators to gather more information and suggested informal outreach to community sports organizations as a first step.
Why it matters
The topic touches on district extracurricular policy, community recreation providers and district finances. Expanding middle‑school athletics would change facility scheduling and require new recurring expenditures for staff, equipment and supervision, so trustees signaled a preference for a measured study rather than immediate implementation.
Provenance
Discussion recorded in the meeting transcript beginning with trustee comments on new business and continuing through the board’s exchange about cost, facilities and next steps.
