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After parent complaint about eligibility, board creates full‑time activities/athletics director role
Summary
Following public comment that 13 students lost middle‑school athletic eligibility, the Cumberland County School Board debated forming a committee or hiring a director and voted to create a full‑time activities/athletics director position, asking staff to provide a job description and salary details at the next work session.
The Cumberland County School Board voted to create a full‑time activities/athletics director role after hearing from a parent who said 13 middle‑school athletes were removed from their teams because of a zoning or eligibility dispute.
Parent Kayla Willis told the board that the removals occurred after students had practiced and played in preseason events, and she asked the board to allow affected students to finish the current season and enforce eligibility rules in future seasons. Willis said the removals had hurt students and their teams and described a denied hardship appeal.
Board members then spent nearly two hours debating whether to form an athletics committee to study policy or to hire a dedicated director or activities coordinator. Supporters of a director argued the district lacked centralized oversight after reductions in staffing, leaving seasonal and middle‑school athletics vulnerable to inconsistent enforcement. Opponents cited budgetary constraints and urged that Dr. Farley's team return with a specific plan and timeline before the board creates a new, funded position.
After amendments and competing motions, a majority voted to create a full‑time activities/athletics director position and asked the director of schools to circulate a job description and recommended salary range in advance of the next work session so the board could decide where to locate the position in the budget.
The board also discussed short‑term options — such as an ad hoc committee or expanded role for current staff — while the new position is defined. The director and staff were tasked with drafting the job description and cost estimates for the role and returning to the board for approval of any personnel and budget changes.
