Schools try to cope with cuts in budget
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
Public high school athletic officials yesterday drew up contingency plans that include eliminating some sports for the first time in 30 years to meet budget restrictions imposed by Gov. Linda Lingle's administration.
Dwight Toyama, executive secretary of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association, who also oversees the state's high school athletic budget, said the budget restrictions could lead to the elimination of hundreds of coaching positions and possibly some sports, including high-profile ones such as basketball.
"We've always added sports," said Toyama, a former high school coach and athletic director who has been involved in athletics for more than 30 years. "We've never subtracted."
The state's high school athletic program offers 19 sports and has 22,862 participants, according to a 2002-03 school survey.
Lingle announced last month that all state agencies — including the Department of Education's high school athletic programs — would be receiving only 80 percent of their first-quarter allocations for this fiscal year because of tough economic times. The 2003-04 fiscal year started July 1.
The public school system is being asked to reduce its budget by $12 million to $20 million. Extracurricular activities such as athletics are being targeted for possible cuts.
Toyama said high school athletics is facing an 18.5 percent reduction for the 2003-04 fiscal year. The program this week received its first-quarter allocation of $1,131,333 for all 44 high schools.
Yesterday, executive secretaries representing leagues on O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i and the Big Island met for the first time to develop contingency plans that will be given to Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto Monday. League secretaries will meet again Aug. 4 after gathering feedback from athletic directors and principals.
Toyama said officials will probably decide whether to cut coaching positions or sports based on second-quarter allocations that are expected in October.
"By October, if we don't get the money restored, they'll be some major adjustments," he said. "If the money is not restored, there's no way of getting around not dropping programs."
Toyama said budget restrictions would likely have a greater impact on winter and spring sports, rather than fall sports.
If cuts are required, sports with low participation numbers or small teams, such as soft tennis, would likely be the first eliminated, Toyama said. Even basketball, which has five starting players and about 10 to 15 on a team, would fall under that criteria despite being a revenue-producing sport, Toyama cautioned.
"I think basketball is a reality," he said. "Basketball is a strong possibility because of the numbers."
Karen Knudsen, the Board of Education's committee chair on budget and fiscal accountability, said the fate of athletics is still unclear under the current restrictions.
"I can't say with certainty what the impact will be on athletics right now," she said. "It's an uncomfortable waiting game."
Knudsen said the committee will meet Aug. 8 and look at possibly scaling back some programs or eliminating programs to save others. She said board members are waiting for the Council on Revenues' revised cash forecasts in September, which could decide the future of many DOE programs.
"If the Council on Revenues comes out with fairly positive or stronger numbers in September, we're hoping that the governor's office will have new instructions for us in terms of what kinds of cuts we'll have to take," Knudsen said. "I think it doesn't hurt to have contingency plans. I know the athletics program and other people will be coming to make their case for their particular programs."
The "quarterly allotment" of money has caused problems for some schools with transportation, supplies and equipment, Toyama said. This is the first time the athletic program has received its budget in quarterly chunks. Normally, it receives the money in one lump sum, Toyama said.
Under the $3,600 quarterly equipment allotment, Kailua does not have $8,000 to pay for its reconditioned football helmets and shoulder pads, Toyama pointed out.
On the Big Island, Konawaena could exhaust nearly all of its quarterly allocated $2,400 transportation money on bus rides to Hilo, Waiakea and Kea'au. Round trips cost about $350 each for those varsity and JV football teams, Toyama said.
Toyama said fundraising is not a viable option because "there's not enough time" and the amounts are too large to raise.
