Millstone Twp. School District could cut sports

BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

The fate of Millstone Township Middle School sports could take a turn for the worse next week.

During a sports awards program at the Millstone Township Middle School on May 31, outgoing Athletic Director Ken Adams told the audience that most of the school's after-school sports programs would be cut next school year due to budget restrictions.

When contacted regarding the comment, Board of Education President Mary Ann Friedman said, "We have to cut four pennies somewhere."

Friedman said she has also received phone calls from people who were upset about the comments made during the sports awards program. However, she said the board has not come to a firm conclusion as to what it will cut from its proposed 2006-07 budget.

The board's proposed $28.7 million budget failed in the April 18 election. Because voters turned down the proposed spending plan, it went before the Township Committee.

On May 17, the Township Committee voted 2-1 in favor of a resolution to reduce the board's proposed 6.2-cent tax levy increase to 2.2 cents, meaning that a Millstone homeowner with a house assessed at the township's average of $410,000 will pay $7,138 this year in school taxes.

On Friday, Friedman said the board approved the 4-cent tax levy decrease on May 31, meaning the board will have to cut a little more than $.5 million from its proposed spending plan.

The Township Committee had recommended that the school district should reduce its surplus, salaries and benefits to compensate for the budget reduction. However, according to Friedman, Superintendent of Schools William Setaro made other recommendations for budget cuts.

Board of Education member Kathy Winecoff said the board will review Setaro's recommendations at a Board of Education meeting at 8 p.m. in the Millstone Township Elementary School library on June 12.

"We are going to review our options, so where I'm coming from I would say that the statement made [at the awards program] was premature," Winecoff said.

Resident Jim Heely, who has three children in township schools, urges anyone interested in keeping sports programs at the middle school to attend the meeting on Monday night.

"What happened is the school budget did not pass," Heely said, "and one of their options to reduce it is to completely eliminate school sports teams that the township has recreational leagues for."

This option would completely do away with middle school sports teams such as basketball, baseball, soccer, wrestling and cheerleading.

"If you just moved into town and you pay a ridiculous amount of property taxes, it is assumed that your children will get to play sports at the middle school," Heely said.

According to Heely, not only would parents and guardians have to pay extra to put their children in recreational leagues, but the rec teams would not prepare students for high school and college-level sports, he alleged.

"Recreational sports are more for fun and to have a good time," Heely said. "At the school level, you have the competitive spirit, the cheerleaders. Kids practice every day so they can get on a team at Allentown High School and CBA [Christian Brothers Academy] in Lincroft [section of Middletown]."

Heely said eliminating most sports from the middle school "is a bad decision for our kids."

"Kids that are ages 11, 12, 13 need activities like sports so they don't get in trouble," Heely said.

Another option the board will review, according to Heely, is limiting its sports programs, which means cutting out junior varsity and lower-level teams from all the middle school sports programs and decreasing the amount spent on uniforms, equipment and trophies.

Heely considers this plan " a lot better than the plan to eliminate most sports."

"At least they would have varsity teams to keep the program going," Heely said. "This might be a nice compromise, and parents could help pay for uniforms and equipment."

Setaro has said in the past that if the school district does not cut extracurricular programs, it may have to cut teaching positions.

recommendations at a Board of Education meeting at 8 p.m. in the Millstone Township Elementary School library on June 12.

"We are going to review our options, so where I'm coming from I would say that the statement made [at the awards program] was premature," Winecoff said.

Resident Jim Heely, who has three children in township schools, urges anyone interested in keeping sports programs at the middle school to attend the meeting on Monday night.

"What happened is the school budget did not pass," Heely said, "and one of their options to reduce it is to completely eliminate school sports teams that the township has recreational leagues for."

This option would completely do away with middle school sports teams such as basketball, baseball, soccer, wrestling and cheerleading.

"If you just moved into town and you pay a ridiculous amount of property taxes, it is assumed that your children will get to play sports at the middle school," Heely said.

According to Heely, not only would parents and guardians have to pay extra to put their children in recreational leagues, but the rec teams would not prepare students for high school and college-level sports, he alleged.

"Recreational sports are more for fun and to have a good time," Heely said. "At the school level, you have the competitive spirit, the cheerleaders. Kids practice every day so they can get on a team at Allentown High School and CBA [Christian Brothers Academy] in Lincroft [section of Middletown]."

Heely said eliminating most sports from the middle school "is a bad decision for our kids."

"Kids that are ages 11, 12, 13 need activities like sports so they don't get in trouble," Heely said.

Another option the board will review, according to Heely, is limiting its sports programs, which means cutting out junior varsity and lower-level teams from all the middle school sports programs and decreasing the amount spent on uniforms, equipment and trophies.

Heely considers this plan " a lot better than the plan to eliminate most sports."

"At least they would have varsity teams to keep the program going," Heely said. "This might be a nice compromise, and parents could help pay for uniforms and equipment."

Setaro has said in the past that if the school district does not cut extracurricular programs, it may have to cut teaching positions.