On Monday, September 20th, the MMSD School Board will review two funding options that would reduce ticket prices to athletic events by increasing the athletic budget up to $100,000+. Money for this increase would be transfered from the District's educational contingency fund. $210,000 from this the educational contingency fund were transferred to the extracurricular sports budget on August 30, 2004, just before school started.
District Proposal (by Roger Price) to MMSD School Board - September 2004
History:
During the course of preparing the 2004-05 budgets, the MMSD was required to reduce services and programs and/or increase revenues to address a $9.9 million gap under state-imposed revenue limits.
The administration recommended a balanced budget that included reduction of the athletic opportunities available to our students and to assess athletic gate charges for volleyball, swimming and gymnastics. The additional gate receipts were anticipated to generate an additional $24,000.
The Board of Education amended the budget to maintain the opportunities for student participation by increasing athletic gate charges from $4 for adults and $2 for students to $6 for adults and $3 for students. This change is anticipated to generate another $78,980 and provides for total revenue of $267,390 (including the $24,000). The BOE approved an adult multi-event pass that discounts the price by $1 per event. Student passes for the year
remain available priced at $20. Free staff passes which have been available for at least 15 years were also eliminated upon therecommendation of the administration.
There has always been a charge for Junior Varsity events when they were held in the same location as the Varsity event and when the Varsity played immediately following the Junior Varsity. This is a new charge for Volleyball though, as there had not previously been a charge for Varsity events.
Budget adjustment options
Option 1:
Reduce volleyball, swimming, and gymnastics to $1 for students and $3 for adults.
No charge for venues where adequate seating is not available (i.e. West swimming).
For Track events, add charge of $1 for students and $3 for adults.
Reduce all other varsity events to $2 for students and $4 for adults (2003-04 levels).
Charge only for Junior Varsity events that immediately precede a varsity event in the same physical space (i.e. volleyball, basketball, etc.)
Continue the offering of multi-event passes for adults with a discount of $1 per event.
Student year pass for $20 remains available.
Offer staff a year pass for $20 with access to all events.
Designate one fall 2004 event for all sports at all high schools as free for all participants.
Fund loss of revenues by re-designating 1.2 FTE ($81,580)previously
designated for additional staffing needs based on enrollment.
Option 2: No entry fee for volleyball, swimming and gymnastics.
Reinstate charges for other varsity events that were charged in 2003-04 to $2 students and $4 for adults.
Charge only for Junior Varsity events that immediately precede a varsity event in the same physical space (i.e. basketball, etc.).
Continue the offering of multi-event passes for adults with a discount of $1 per event.
Student year pass for $20 remains available.
Free passes for staff would be reinstated.
Designate one fall 2004 event for all sports at all high schools as free for all participants.
Fund lose of revenues by re-designating 1.7 FTE ($112,780) previously designated for additional staffing needs based on enrollment.