COVID impact on sports attendance costs schools $150K
The Springboro school board is expected to shift as much as $150,000 to the district’s athletic fund to cover a deficit attributed to reduced receipts fromevents altered to comply with COVID-19 guidelines.
“The board will be voting to approve a transfer of up to $150K to the athletic fund. Due to COVID, the revenue normally generated by the athletic department is down this year, as a result of the reduced capacity that is required by the state for social distancing,” ScottMarshall, the district’s communication coordinator, said in an email this morning.
“Attendance at athletic events were reduced to a maximum of 15% capacity. While our athletic department has significantly cut back expenses, in order to compensate for lost revenue, this transfer ofupto $150Kto the athletic fund is designed to help offset the standard, fixed fees and expenses associated with athletic teams and their seasons.”
The board is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the high school library on the transfer and other business.
The board has moved money to balance the sports account in past years, after efforts to cover the expenses through fees and booster funds fell short.
In November 2013, the board transferred $150,000 to the district’s athletic fund.
Thetransferwasapproved after the board discussed how much to transfer into the account. Al Porter, interim treasurer at the time, requested the $250,000 transfer.
At the time, Superintendent Todd Petrey said the transferwas needed because of changes in the district’s accounting for district athletic programs that separated coach salaries.
Petrey said therewas insufficient funding from fundraising and other sources to balance the account.
In August 2014, the board also approved transfer of $16,241 fromthe general fund to the athletic fund.
InOctober 2015, the board transferred $177,500 “to subsidize the Athletic Program” when efforts by the board to make this department self-sustaining through fees and booster funds fell short.
In 2017, the boardresolved to pay athletic department expenses, including $365.000 a year for supplemental coaching contracts, fromthe general fund, according to Marshall.
This year’s transfer was madetocoverupto$150,000 in athletic-department expenses, while the pandemicpersists, Marshall said.