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Coaches urge district to retain athletic trainers as Synergy contract scales back services
Summary
At a recent Charles City Comm School District meeting, coaches and community members urged the board to preserve athletic-trainer services amid a revised Synergy contract the district says is narrowing because of staffing shortages.
Public commenters at the Charles City Comm School District meeting urged the board to keep athletic-trainer coverage as the district moves forward with a revised contract with Synergy that district staff said reflects limited contractor staffing.
Robin, a coach who identified herself during public comment, told the board there is currently no certified athletic trainer on the coaching staff and described multiple incidents where having a trainer made a difference in a student’s recovery. "There is not anybody on our coaching staff that is a certified athletic trainer," she said, adding that an on-site trainer "has made an impact on the kid's recovery."
Bridal Bjorklund, identified in the transcript as a teacher and coach, recounted an instance when the football program learned it would not receive district-funded coverage for an away game and paid for a trainer with fundraising dollars. "We had to pay for our own athletic trainer out of fundraise money for last Friday nights," she said, urging the board to consider student safety and sideline expertise when shaping the contract.
A staff member responding to board questions said Synergy previously provided a wider set of services, including strength-and-conditioning instruction in some years, but that staffing shortages are driving the current contract’s narrower focus. The staff member described the district’s concussion screening process: seventh graders take a baseline impact screening in science class, students with potential concussions retake the test in the school office, and Synergy evaluates results and sets a return-to-play protocol.
Board members thanked the commenters and said the Synergy contract item would be addressed on the agenda. The meeting record shows that the public comment period and subsequent staff explanation preceded a scheduled agenda discussion of the contract, but the transcript does not record a final contract vote in the public-comment segments cited here.
Next steps: board members indicated the Synergy contract would be discussed on the agenda for further consideration.
