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Board review finds co‑curricular activities account for about 2.5% of district budget
Summary
At a committee meeting, the Chair reviewed a spreadsheet showing co‑curricular salaries, benefits and travel; travel for one program totaled $73,009.63, and staff said most pay comes from contractual salaries with fringe benefits netted to 19%.
The Chair reviewed a spreadsheet showing salaries, fringe benefits, transportation, lodging and supplies for the district’s co‑curricular programs and told the committee that one line for OM travel totaled $73,009.63.
“It includes the buses, the hotels, the meals,” the Chair said while confirming the participant counts. The committee discussed that roughly 10 teams went on for one year’s OM competition (about 70 students moving on) and that total participants across the program were recorded as 139.
The Chair framed the totals within the district’s overall budget: “It’s really only about 2 and a half percent of the entire budget,” they said, noting the spreadsheet shows roughly $2,964,000 in co‑curricular expenditures on a $102,000,000 budget.
Staff explained the bulk of those costs are contractual salaries and that fringe benefits are presented as a net rate. “The net of that, and then you add a little bit into workers’ comp, that’s how you get to the 19%,” the Staff member said, describing state reimbursement and accounting treatments that affect the displayed fringe percentage.
Committee members emphasized the programs’ value, citing recent additions such as lacrosse and marching band and recognition of teams at awards assemblies. A newer committee member asked whether most coaches are teachers; the Chair said about 99% are district employees who receive pay per the negotiated contracts, and Staff described a formula in the professional contract that factors participants, years of experience and weeks.
The committee asked for greater transparency on the spreadsheet: the Chair requested a note explaining that the 19% fringe figure is a net amount (expense offset by reimbursements) so future reviewers understand the calculation. Staff said printed copies of the analysis would be included in the August board packet.
Next steps: the committee asked staff to include the co‑curricular cost worksheet as an annual element of the budget process and to provide printed handouts at the August meeting for board members. No formal motions or votes were taken at this session.
