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Wake County athletics growth strains staffing, facilities; district says expansion should wait until infrastructure improves
Summary
Wake County athletics officials told the Board of Education on March 18 that student participation has nearly doubled over two decades while central athletics staff remain two people, and that the district should not pursue system-wide expansion until staffing, facilities and medical coverage are secured.
The Wake County Board of Education on March 18 received a detailed briefing on the district’s high school athletics program that emphasized rapid student participation growth, widening operational demands on athletic directors, and limits to near-term expansion.
Darren Coe, district director of athletics, told the board the district’s high school athletic participation grew from about 10,997 students in 2003–04 to 21,396 in 2023–24, and that the average number of student athletes per high school rose from about 650 to about 860 (a 32% increase). Coe said the district currently offers 29 varsity sports and 12 designated junior varsity sports across its high schools and that 45 coaching supplements are identified per school, plus supplements for athletic directors and a small number of flex positions schools may apply locally.
“The increasing demand on athletic directors has expanded exponentially,” Coe said, describing eligibility monitoring, Title IX compliance, emergency action planning, contract management for facilities, and event staffing as part of the job now. He emphasized that central athletics is staffed by two people — himself and a senior administrator — and that many schools have converted local funds, booster support or flex positions to pay for assistant athletic directors. “With additional staffing, future expansion; without additional staffing, future expansion is not sustainable,” he said.
Coe reviewed sports the district has added in recent years and decades: lacrosse (introduced around 2010), official recognition of winter track and added JV volleyball and stunt (2014–15), establishment of Unified Track (2015) with 13 schools currently offering it, and women's wrestling (2023–24) and women’s flag football (2024). He said unified sports currently do not have a district coaching supplement in all schools and that the district aims to expand unified offerings once infrastructure exists.
Board members asked about how new sports are funded and whether outside grants can cover initial costs. Coe said individual schools may add programs if they can fund them locally and comply with Wake County and DPI policies; however, if a program becomes district-branded, the district must address Title IX proportionality and anticipate future supplement and oversight needs. He cautioned that one‑time grants can start programs but will not solve ongoing staffing, medical coverage, transportation and compliance responsibilities.
Risk manager Mr. Bell and other administrators addressed insurance and liability questions during a discussion about mountain‑biking (NICA) and other student clubs. Bell said the district’s liability and student-athlete injury coverage differs from general extracurricular coverage and that some club activities will be excluded by the district’s general liability carrier unless they are organized as an interscholastic athletic program covered by the district’s athletics insurance. He gave an example where a build‑and‑design activity was permitted but the insurer would not endorse on‑track racing under the club arrangement.
Other clarifications included coaching certification and training requirements (annual concussion training and NFHS fundamentals courses) and that assistant athletic directors are not universally funded; 16 of 25 high schools have converted local funds to payroll to support those roles. Coe and board members discussed facility maintenance pauses that have required schools to find local solutions for field upkeep.
Board members pressed on Title IX proportionality, which Coe summarized as a goal to have participation within 5 percentage points of gender enrollment. Coe said female participation rose from about 35.7% to 38.25% while female enrollment was about 48.5% in 2023–24; he said participation is expected to rise further with the addition of flag football.
The athletics office urged the board to consider a phased approach: first build central and school‑level staffing and supports (assistant AD funding, clerical capacity, medical staffing, facility maintenance), then pursue systematic expansion of unified and other sports rather than adopting new programs systemwide without the needed infrastructure.
