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Board debates trimming one‑act play and Knowledge Bowl to meet savings target
Summary
Board members discussed cutting or restructuring the middle-school one‑act play and reducing Knowledge Bowl travel/meets to meet a savings target, while parents and coaches offered alternatives including fundraising and consolidating productions; staff will return with precise cost scenarios.
The board spent significant time weighing proposed cuts to fine‑arts and academic extracurriculars as part of a broader rightsizing plan. Several members and parents argued that the one‑act play and Knowledge Bowl are important for students who are not engaged by athletics; others pressed that travel and substitute costs make the activities expensive when the district consolidates buildings.
"I just want you to pay dues to produce $3,400 in savings," one board member (speaker 4) said, proposing that the activities director either find that amount in department savings or secure fundraising to preserve the one‑act play. Board members suggested specific options: combine middle‑school and high‑school productions into a 5–12 show (reducing one production), cap Knowledge Bowl at 10 students, limit meets from eight to four, move competitions after school, or explore virtual leagues to cut substitute and transportation costs.
Parents and staff said removing the programs risks losing students who depend on arts and academic teams for engagement. The superintendent asked coaches to propose concrete mitigation plans and assigned the activities director (AD) responsibility, if the board approves the cuts next meeting, to either fundraise or find department savings before the activity is permanently eliminated.
Staff will return with a breakdown of the projected savings from each option and the timeline for reinstating activities if funds are found; the board emphasized any reinstatement would require evidence of the funds or a reliable plan.
