Los Angeles City Section program faces $1.4-million budget cut
The Los Angeles City Section high school sports program is facing a $1.4-million budget cut for the next school year, and Commissioner of Athletics Barbara Fiege said today that she has begun discussions on how to deal with the reductions without making substantial cuts to teams.
“What I hope and do believe is possible is that we can make the cuts needed or raise funds needed so that the opportunity for kids who are playing right now won’t be taken away to any large degree,” Fiege said.
The 20% cut in athletic funding is part of districtwide cuts expected to be required by the Los Angeles Unified School District as it deals with the loss of state funding.
Whether that means cuts to coaches to save on stipends or a reduction in teams to save on transportation costs could be decided by individual leagues.
“The reality is because of the economy and the budget restraints of the district, we can’t avoid it,” Fiege said. “But can we be smart about it? Yes. Can we be efficient? Yes.”
Fiege has already met with league commissioners to begin the process of coming up with ideas on cutbacks. It would be the largest loss of funds since Fiege took over as City Section commissioner in 1993. In the last two years, she has successfully steered the section through a loss of $600,000 in transportation funds.
But this time, there could be a need for lower-level teams to be cut, though Fiege said that would be difficult considering it would damage the district’s attempt to keep students from dropping out of school.
Fiege’s goal is to “make these reductions but still maintain the vast majority of our programs.”
The district’s athletic directors are scheduled to meet Thursday, and Fiege is expected to discuss the issue and seek input.
Other school districts around the state are expected to seek reductions in sports programs. The Conejo Valley Unified School District has preliminary plans for schools to cut 10 coaching stipends, according to Newbury Park Assistant Principal Richard Urias.
“The reality is less programs, less budget for travel, less for tournaments, less all together,” said Southern Section spokesman Thom Simmons.
Non-varsity programs could end up taking major cuts for the next school year, Simmons said.
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