Athletic director lays out participation trends, costs and facilities needs as board considers region alignment

Jim Walton, the district's athletic director, told the Jamestown Public School Board on May 4 that overall student participation in activities has been "fairly consistent" year to year, but individual sports show notable swings that affect planning and cost.

Walton said football participation this past year fell to about 65 students from a typical 80'1, while boys golf has surged to roughly 57 participants. Some programs, he said, are operated as 7'12 through 12 or 9'12 through 12 depending on state competition structures and local numbers. "Sometimes it's been our numbers too," Walton said, explaining why certain sports include middle-school students to maintain viable programs.

Why it matters: participation changes affect whether the district can support separate middle-school programs, transportation and scheduling, and whether cooperative agreements with other districts need rethinking.

Board members pressed Walton on transportation and regional alignment after the North Dakota High School Activities Association moved girls hockey into an East region assignment next year. Aaron (board member) and Owen (board member) said travel time and overnight trips affect student academics and family ability to attend events; Walton said a formal request to change regions requires approval by the activities association board. "We would need to get that ball rolling here probably by this fall," Walton said of a possible region change for broader sports scheduling.

Walton described what the district budget currently pays for in activities: coaches' salaries (per the negotiated agreement), transportation and travel, contracted officials and game management, equipment and uniforms, entry fees and association dues, and subscription services for entries and management systems. He listed current activity fees as $75 per high-school sport and $40 per middle-school sport, with sliding adjustments for families who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Gate prices, Walton said, are $8 for adults and $5 for students.

Fundraising and facilities: Walton said boosters and team fundraisers commonly pay for team meals on the road, additional equipment (for example, video equipment) and camps. He urged broader, unified fundraising for large capital items such as motor coaches or upgraded facility systems. Walton flagged several facility needs: locker rooms, bathrooms and concessions at Ersted Field; an overhaul of the Jeremiah Arena floor (he cited an $85,000 quote); and a replacement timing system for the pool after Daktronics no longer supplies aquatic timing equipment.

Staffing and event supervision: Walton said the winter season generated about 131 administrator supervision hours (December'February), noting multiple administrators are often required for larger events. He also warned that adult spectator behavior is an increasing concern: the district had two fan ejections this winter and coordinates with the activities association's ejection policy and local law enforcement.

Cooperatives and fee models: Walton described the district's flat $300 per-school, per-activity cooperative fee and said the board could consider alternative cost-sharing models or a reset of long-standing coop agreements. He also noted that district-held revolving/fundraising accounts are audited and that funds can roll over for program use.

On coaches' pay and process, Walton said stipends and groupings are based on the negotiated agreement with the Jamestown Education Association and long-standing formulas typically tied to season length; fall and winter coaches usually receive one-third of a stipend preseason/Christmas and the remainder after required end-of-season paperwork, while spring coaches receive a single end-of-season payment.

What comes next: Board members asked Walton and staff to continue exploring transportation-cost models (including owning buses), re-evaluating cooperative fee structures, and engaging coaches and booster groups on fundraising and facility priorities. Walton said he is open to revisiting payment structures and operational tweaks but emphasized that many proposals will require broader community and booster involvement to implement.

Quote: "If we could get away from our kids having to pay fees and participate, that would be a perfect scenario," Walton said, describing the district's preference to minimize out-of-pocket costs for families.

Ending: The board left the item with direction to continue analysis of region alignment timing, transportation costs and potential cooperative-model changes and to involve coaches and boosters in fundraising and facility planning.