Sports Survive at Eisenhower; Fees to be Determined

The interscholastic sports program at Eisenhower Middle School will be retained at a cost to parents, although fees for the program have not yet been set.

The Board of Education convened a special meeting Monday morning to take action to preserve the program, after its survival was threatened by cuts in the defeated 2010-11 school budget. The board voted unanimously to continue the program while leaving a fee schedule up to Administrator Alan Reiffe and interim Superintendent Richard Kuder.

"I'm expecting a decision (on fees) this week," board President Rob Francin said.

Additionally, the four board members present (Elizabeth DeGregorio, Thomas Giamanco and Catherine Runge were absent) decided not to open the interscholastic program to sixth-graders, unless there's low enrollment among the upper classmen, Reiffe said. Furthermore, a character development program proposed by Athletic Director Jim Ciarlo and Principal Stephen Raimo will not be considered, although certain elements will be incorporated into the sports program, Francin said.

The board president said the sports program is integral to Eisenhower's offerings and part of what sets Wyckoff apart from other districts.

"Sports in Wyckoff are very strong, and we recognize that," he said, while saying the comprehensive program goes "above and beyond what (many) others are doing."

Interim Superintendent Richard Kuder agreed. "We're all in favor of seeing middle school sports continue," he said, but the district is "dealing with the economic realities" of slashed aid and reduced budgets.

A loss of state aid and corresponding cuts to the upcoming school year budget left the interscholastic program without funding. The board had always aimed to find a way to retain the travel program, which is comprised of the following sports: boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, cheerleading, baseball, softball and track.

The board declined to take action last week on a proposal to establish a $259 per-student, per-sport fee across all programs other than track, which would have required a $159 fee from parents. The estimated $47,280 program would have been supplemented with a $15,000 pledge from the board of education.

Monday's actions affirm the survival of the sports program without action on specific fees. However, $259 per sport is highly unlikely, member Diane Sobin said.

The administration "will come up with a level they're comfortable with," Sobin said. 

"There's no perfect solution," she said, but "rest assured we're balancing the sensitivities of parents and taxpayers."

Some board members and parents in attendance when the fees were initially proposed balked at the proposed $259 charge, feeling that it was too high. 

Francin and Reiffe said the ultimate cost will be decided after considering available resources, and the board likely will help subsidize the program.

"I believe there will be a portion paid by the board," Francin said.

Kuder said Wednesday that the fee will not be $259 but the administration hasn't yet found a "reasonable balance" between economic necessity and the desire not to burden parents.

"We're trying to come up with a cost that is not so burdensome," the superintendent said. "We're looking to have parents help us" and "not pay for the program outright."

Once a fee schedule is recommended by Reiffe and Kuder, the board will have to affirm the proposal, Reiffe said. The fees will likely not be adopted until the board next meets on Sept. 13, according to Kuder.

Additionally, Raimo and Ciarlo had presented a pilot program proposal that would have concentrated on character development with the young athletes, tying their participation to specific weekly exercises that would have required action on the part of teachers and parents. Essentially, the administrators were proposing to measure athletes' efforts in the classroom while requiring them to complete weekly lessons on specific character-building concepts.

The proposal had prompted numerous questions on implementation, teachers' work load and the proper role of teachers to students. While the Eisenhower administrators were praised on their intent, the outstanding questions have not been resolved to allow the board to go forward with a program.

Rather, character-building exercises will be "built into the program," Francin said, although they "won't be as formal a delivery" as proposed by Raimo and Ciarlo.

"Coaches already cover those concepts," Sobin said, in reference to values such as teamwork, perseverance, humility, honesty and compassion.

Ciarlo was not immediately available for comment.