City’s championship venues endangered by budget cuts

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Those of you fortunate to see the City football championship games between Birmingham-Carson and Garfield-University at the Coliseum in December? I hope you had a good time. Ditto to those who spent March 1 watching the City boys’ and girls’ basketball championships at the Sports Arena.

There’s a distinct possibility those venues, and Dodger Stadium, will not be available for City championship games for the 2008-09 school year.

During Monday’s Interscholastic Athletic Committee meeting at Contreras High, City Commissioner Barbara Fiege said she must present budget cuts ‘of up to 25%’ to the LAUSD board of education for consideration on Friday. This is in response to the proposed education cuts in the upcoming state budget.

Fiege said it currently costs the Section $44,000 to rent the Coliseum and $42,000 for the Sports Arena. She did not have exact figures for Dodger Stadium, but said the fee ‘was around $15,000.’

The proposed cuts, Fiege added, would not include things like coaching stipends, school police or transportation. But there has to be ‘a priority list’ of what the Section can likely afford in 2008-09.

She has asked section administrators to start investigating other potential athletic venues for the fall.

‘We know the kids are having a good championship experience playing where they are now,’ Fiege said. ‘I’m not saying we won’t be in the Coliseum of Sports Arena next year, but it is a possibility.’

-- Mike Terry

-- Image from deutsch.istockphoto.com