Thanks in part to an uptick in attendance at high school football games, the school district may be able to restore baseball and softball programs at the middle school.
Athletic Director Joseph Orazietti is requesting the Board of Education allocate no more than $14,000 to fund the spring programs — and a $3,799 coaching position for girls outdoor track at the high school.
The Board of Education could vote on the funding later this month.
The money totals $4,926 for baseball and $4,681 for softball. It includes coaches’ salaries, transportation and supplies for both programs.
Those sports were cut from the budget at the start of this fiscal year.
The money is coming from a sports “enterprise account,” which is gate receipts sold at school sporting events.
The district has been relying heavily this year to fund sports programs.
Schools Superintendent Stephen Tracy said the account totaled $81,000 on July 1, 2009. It is projected to have about $40,000 in the account by the end of the current school year.
At a Board of Education subcommittee meeting Monday, Orazietti said the enterprise account was bolstered this year by increased attendance at Derby/O’Brien Tech football games.
The district made about $19,000 in ticket sales this season, up about $4,000 to $5,000 from last season. Orazietti attributed the uptick to this year’s game against Ansonia. The two teams hadn’t played in years.
Tracy unveiled his proposed spending plan for 2010 – 2011 Jan. 25. It includes a spending increase of about $1.3 million. The budget, however, does not restore funding for athletic programs eliminated from the current, 2009 – 2010 budget.
Members of the Board of Education are scheduled to talk about the proposed budget at meeting Thursday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the middle school cafetorium.
