Coaches Vote to Continue Their Boycott : High schools: They reject Orange Unified School District’s proposal. But Orange High staff chooses to begin workouts with its football team.

Coaches in the Orange Unified School District voted to continue their boycott Tuesday, rejecting a proposal from the district. But at least one coaching staff chose to begin workouts.

The coaches and district officials have been at odds over a 50% reduction in stipends. The cut was part of the collective bargaining agreement, voted on by the Orange Unified Education Assn. Aug. 12.

The coaches voted, 40-35, Tuesday to turn down the district’s proposal to restore some of the stipends while cutting others completely. But shortly after the meeting, Orange High School football coaches began workouts with their team and there were hints that another football staff may follow.

“Orange is out there practicing right now,” Villa Park football Coach Pat Mahoney said. “And Villa Park may be out there practicing tomorrow.”

Mahoney later backed away from his statement, saying he “probably won’t be coaching tomorrow.”

Football coaches from the district’s two other schools--Canyon and El Modena--said they would honor the boycott.

Under Southern Section rules, football teams must have at least 10 practices before they can participate in a game, according to Section Commissioner Stan Thomas. Canyon, El Modena and Villa Park would have to begin their practices by Saturday or forfeit their season openers on Sept. 11.

Orange Coach Buddy Bland said he made his decision based on his players’ needs.

“I not ready to use players as a bargaining tool,” said Bland, a second-year coach. “I’m thinking about the kids. If anybody is really upset at me, they can have the $2,000 or $1,000 they’re paying me. I’ll coach for no pay. I’m here for the kids.”

On Sunday, coaches voted, 85-2, to boycott all sport practices unless all stipends are returned 100%. A head football coach, the highest paid of the coaches, makes a little more than $2,000 per year.

After two days of meetings, athletic directors brought a proposal to the coaches on Tuesday that would trim $235,768 out of the budget, $114,636 of which would be in stipend cuts.

Under the proposal, each school would have lost 13 coaching stipends while the other stipends would be restored in full. It would have also cut stipends for 1 1/2 athletic trainer positions, as well as some non-athletic stipends.

As a result, at least one level from five sports would have been eliminated, including either freshman or sophomore basketball for both boys and girls.

“We’re all on a raft and there’s sharks all around us and they want us to tell which people to jump in for a swim,” El Modena football Coach Bill Backstrom said.

Said El Modena volleyball Coach Dale Flickinger: “If you ran a private enterprise like they run this district, you would either be fired or go out of business.”

Coaches were given three options to vote on. The first vote ended with 35 willing to accept the proposal, 34 wanting to reject it and seven willing to coach at the 50% reduction across the board.

Because no option received the necessary 39 votes for a majority, a second vote was taken with the option of taking the 50% cut eliminated. The second vote ended 40-35 to reject the proposal.

“They made their bed and now they have to lie in it,” said Jack Elsner, chief negotiator for the district. “We’re back to Square 1. We gave it our best shot and they turned it down.”

Said Backstrom: “They’re trying to paint us as money-hungry coaches. I don’t make that much money.”

Elsner said he would meet with interim superintendent Richard Donoghue today to discuss the situation.

“What we have said is the (district) has to realize how important athletics are,” Orange boys’ Athletic Director Dave Zirkle said. “They have yet to give an inch. What we have said to them is this is the end of it.”

But even as Zirkle spoke of unity, there were cracks.

“I welcome these cuts,” Mahoney said. “I wish they would cut us down to four sports. Then we could build it back up again. We have more sports than we had 20 years ago and less money than we had 20 years ago.”

Others were for holding firm.

“If we let this go, there won’t be any sports in the district within two years,” Backstrom said. “What do we do when they cut us again next year?”