Sports officials to receive raise after City Section Board of Managers approves contract

The final meeting of the 2015-16 school year for the City Section Board of Managers on Monday produced lots of news. Among the actions and information that came forward:

A three-year contract with officials was approved, giving a raise of $3 for 2016-17, $2 for 2017-18 and $2 for 2018-19. For example, a baseball umpire will receive $78; basketball $71 for three-person crew; $83 for football referee; $75 for soccer; $106 for track.

The BOM voted to approve an expansion of the girls’ volleyball playoffs to six divisions, including an open division, beginning this fall. The boys’ volleyball playoffs will expand next year to four divisions without an open division.

The BOM voted to reduce the penalty for coming off the bench to engage in a fight. Instead of being suspended for one year, the student would receive a 30-day suspension.

There was a first reading to change the City Section rule that forces teams to forfeit games when the head coach is ejected. The proposal is to allow an assistant coach to take over coaching the team during the game when a head coach is ejected. Other sections in the state have a similar rule. That proposal will be voted on in August.

For winter sports, the football playoffs resulted in a profit of $43,454; soccer saw a profit of $7,600 and wrestling saw a loss of $11,000.

The number of member schools in the City Section has reached 146, including 83 that are part of LAUSD and 63 charter high schools. Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy, Alliance Susan and Eric Smidt Technology and Alliance Neuwirth Leadership Academy were given full membership status.

Belmont Athletic Director Neil La Sala was voted the president elect of the Board of Managers. He will take over as president in 2018-19.

Attendance for the basketball championships was 4,761, down from last year’s 4,994. Attendance for wrestling was 567, up from 376 last year. Attendance for soccer was 3,491, down from 4,187 last year.

Schools were reminded that smokeless tobacco is banned from all event sites effective March 9 because of a new Los Angeles City Ordinance.

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