Hi Mike,

Would you consider providing the community an explanation of how after school programs, in general, and sports teams, in particular, are funded?

The coach’s impassioned statement was covered in the Beach Reporter (see article here) and sadly, the process was not well explained.  His statements implied that his salary is paid by the District but I have always been under the impression that Boosters, now via MBX, pay it.

I'm a mom of kids who play after school sports and participate in extra-curricular music I am happy to donate what I can and fundraise as needed.  I don't expect the District budget to pay for these programs. 

What's the story?

Thank You.

Here is the response I sent to this parent. 

Thank you for writing.  There are many programs, sports and activities (band, orchestra, choir, Model UN) that involve many hours with students after school.  According to our contract with our teachers, these specific positions receive an extra duty stipend.   You can see the list of stipends here.

How these stipends are funded is an interesting question.  Over the past five years, MBAF requested $325 per student per sport.  MBAF used this money to pay for an athletic trainer, buses, and coaches.  MBAF then donated the remaining amount to the District, and those funds helped the District to pay for coaching stipends.

In the 2013-14 school year, MBAF stopped asking for the $325 per student.  Instead, the District asks the booster clubs that support our after school activities to budget the coaching stipend, buses, uniforms and equipment, and to keep all of those funds in MBX (formerly MBAF).  The District now pays for the trainer and for safety equipment.  Each booster club is now part of the MBX Board, and they work together on issues of fundraising and safety.  So now, MBX still donates funds to the District for coaching, but it comes from booster clubs instead of from individual families.  You can see the formal language in MBUSD Board Policy 1230.

After reading the recent article I feel there is some clarification needed:

• The Board did not make any cuts regarding coaching.  Our budget remains the same.  We hope that MBX will use the money collected by parent booster clubs to defray the cost of coaching.
  
• The Board did not place the burden of fund raising on the teams.  We do not want to have our students raising funds in order to play.
  
• The Board does not want coaches to have anything to do with fund raising.  In fact, we want our coaches as far removed as possible from all fund raising, as it may raise the question of playing favorites.
  
• The Board does not prefer hiring walk-on coaches over teachers as coaches.  The costs are the same.  More importantly, we actually prefer teachers, because it gives them more connections to our students during the school day.
  
• If you calculate the stipend that high school coaches and activity leaders receive in every district I have worked in, and divide it by the number of hours they spend, all coaches are underpaid.  I have always been thankful for all the hours our coaches devote to their students, for their dedication to helping our students grow and excel, and for the difference they make in students' lives.

In the end, I wish the District had the funds to pay for everything, and that there was no need for fund raising.  That is not the case.  I am very appreciative of our parents and our booster clubs who do so much to make things happen for our students, and I believe our new system is working quite well.

Mike Matthews