City Stays Committed to Openers : Officials Unmoved by Threat of Boycott

City Section officials have no plans to cancel athletic events during the first week of this fall’s schedule despite the threat of a boycott by high school athletic directors, according to school district administrator Dan Isaacs.

Isaacs, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s senior high school division, received a letter Wednesday from the City’s athletic directors, who voted unanimously last week to refuse to work without pay before the start of the school year this fall. For the first time City officials can remember, the football season will start before the school year commences. The first weekend of games is scheduled for Sept. 9-10 and classes begin Sept. 14.

Athletic directors have demanded pay for 30 hours of work before the first games. Isaacs said he sympathizes with their position but doubts that the funding will be forthcoming.

“We’re going to seek a way to support their concerns but the state is talking about a $2 billion shortfall, which could mean less money for our district. At this point, their request would be an add-on to the budget,” he said.

Isaacs was unsure when a ruling on the request would be made but said that the games would be played. Administrators at each of the City’s 49 high schools report to work 12 days before the start of school and would assume the athletic directors’ duties, he said.

“We’re not at battle with athletic directors and I hope we resolve the issue. But each school has assistant principals and administrators in charge of athletics who can handle the job,” he said.

Canoga Park Athletic Director Marty Denyer, the president-elect of the Los Angeles City Assn. of Athletic Directors, has questioned the course of action involving other administrators, saying many are unfamiliar with the duties.

Athletic directors, who have a reduced class load and earn about $1,000 a semester in addition to their teaching salaries, arrange for transportation and supervision of events and ensure that each athlete has met all requirements to compete. Included among those requirements are academic eligibility and the filing of parent-permission and insurance forms. Athletic directors also ensure that athletes have passed a physical examination.

Isaacs, who has been with the district since 1962, remembers no similar boycott among school administrators. Complicating matters is a City ruling that allows this year’s football contests to be elevated to game status by mutual consent. In previous years, contests on the first weekend were designated only as scrimmages.