SCARBOROUGH – In order to balance the school budget, the Scarborough Board of Education voted last week to eliminate sub-varsity spring sports at Scarborough High School and also to cut seventh-grade baseball, softball and lacrosse teams at Scarborough Middle School.

The board made the decision at its meeting Jan. 7 in order to help cope with a shortfall of more than $1.1 million in the $35 million Scarborough school budget for 2009-2010. The shortfall is due to a curtailment of state education aid made to school districts statewide as the result of the economic recession.

School Superintendent David Doyle called the decision “unfortunate,” but said it’s necessary as the school board grapples with plugging the hole in the budget. The cuts will save about $26,000, he said.

He said it is hoped that sports booster clubs can step in to help the sports teams continue. At the high school, varsity and junior varsity sports will be retained and eighth-grades sport will continue at the middle school, he said.

Eliminated, he said, will be first team spring athletics at the high school. He said those are sub-varsity teams on which generally ninth- and tenth-graders play.

Also at the high school, Doyle said, the board voted to eliminate stipends for two assistant track coaches.

At the middle school, he said, the school board voted to eliminate boys’ and girls’ lacrosse for seventh-graders. Also cut was seventh grade boys’ baseball and seventh-grade girls’ softball, Doyle said. And a developmental boys’ baseball team also was eliminated.

Doyle said he knows the cuts will hurt. “The $26,000 will get some attention,” he said.

He said some residents may accuse school officials of trying to stir up public concern about the school budget, which some parents and educators have contended does not get enough support from town taxpayers.

However, Doyle said that if the board wanted to do that, it would have gone after varsity and junior varsity sports.

He said the cuts to sub-varsity and middle school sport are simply a part of school officials’ ongoing efforts to cope with the large shortfall. “We’re looking around,” he said.

The school board last month identified reductions and savings that could make up for about 63 percent for a $1.1 million curtailment in state aid in this year’s budget.

The savings and reductions previously identified include $200,000 in savings because of a budget freeze put in place earlier this fall in anticipation of the cuts. The Scarborough schools froze spending on supplies, equipment, travel and professional development.

However, the board planned to meet with the Town Council on Jan. 13 to discuss some possible town assistance in making up the rest of the shortfall. The meeting was scheduled to take place after the Current’s deadline.

Copy the Story Link