Parents, students and state rep. urge Sweetwater County School District #2 to delay extracurricular cuts amid recalibration shortfalls

Anna Kimball, an assistant coach at Green River High School, told the Sweetwater County School District #2 Board of Trustees that cutting spring tennis would remove a program that has grown from three players in 2016 to about 85 this year and provides mentorship and belonging for many students. "This is a program that has grown tremendously over the years and continues to positively impact students both on and off the court," she said, urging the board to reconsider the proposed elimination and offering volunteer coaching and reduced travel as cost‑saving alternatives.

State Rep. Scott Heiner told the board the recalibration changes were not intended to strip funding from co‑curricular activities and that the Legislature and recalibration committee are working to address the problem. "We have placed that on the agenda for our next recalibration meeting in the afternoon of June 25 to discuss activity funding and what we can do to resolve that," Heiner said, adding he has discussed rule language with the state superintendent that might allow co‑curricular activities to be funded from the instructional silo if the rules are written accordingly.

Several parents and students described the activities as essential to students' engagement and mental health. Victoria Hemphill said cutting programs would remove opportunities and relationships her sons rely on and asked the board to "please reconsider and do not make cuts to the sports and activities unless absolutely necessary." Student speaker Jeremy Neal proposed a compromise model in which students, alumni and parent volunteers take on more operational roles under faculty supervision to reduce costs while preserving programs.

Board members acknowledged the community testimony and said they are balancing competing obligations. Superintendent Cooper and trustees reiterated that the budget is preliminary and the district is monitoring legislative developments before finalizing decisions. The board approved a preliminary 2026–27 budget and several reserve reallocations at the meeting, but members repeatedly told speakers that the decisions are difficult and contingent on further information from the state. "We do not take these decisions lightly," a trustee said, emphasizing the board's desire to minimize student impact.

Next steps: Heiner said activity funding will be discussed by the recalibration committee June 25; the district's final budget approval is scheduled July 14. Trustees said they will hold a board workshop to review activities and potential adjustments and encouraged public testimony at the June meeting.