Palm Beach County refs plan work stoppage

Without an agreement, group won’t officiate ‘Kickoff’ games

The East Coast Football Officials Association, which officiates games in Palm Beach County, announced Tuesday that they will not work Kickoff Classic games this week.

The ECFOA said in its statement on Twitter that it would not work any varsity or junior varsity games until its disagreement with the Palm Beach County School District was resolved.

“[A work stoppage] is still the plan,” ECFOA president Travelle Northern said. “We are working with the district to see if there can be any type of agreement in the next 24 hours before game time on Thursday.”

Meanwhile, the Florida High School Athletic Association and the school district are also working to make sure this week’s game can be played.

“Our staff is continuing to work relentlessly with parties across the entire state to ensure student-athletes are not hurt by any work stoppage,” FHSAA spokesman Kyle Niblett said in an email.

PBCSD spokeswoman Julie Houston Trieste said Tuesday afternoon that no football games had been canceled and that the district was still in communication with the officials.

Broward County referees previously considered a work stoppage, as well, but they reached an agreement with the

Broward County Athletic Association on Aug. 5.

In Lee County, the district announced there would be no pay raise for officials, so the South Gulf Football Officials Association announced a work stoppage. The FHSAA responded by revoking the SGFOA’s sanction, according to the Naples Daily News.

Late Tuesday afternoon, however, the SGFOA and Lee County appeared close to a deal to end the short work stoppage, according to the Fort Myers News-Press.

Broward Football Officials Association president Phil Serfass said Tuesday that Broward County referees would not work any games in Palm Beach or Lee counties.

Palm Beach County referees are seeking a $10 per game increase in pay from the district. The Florida High School Athletic Association currently caps game fees across the state at $65 per official per game, but travel fees and any additional fees are negotiated between the local official’s associations and school districts. Those rates vary between school districts, and that’s where the ECFOA is seeking a raise.

An FHSAA committee made up of athletic directors, administrators and referees is scheduled to meet and discuss the issue on Aug. 26 — three days after the season is set to begin.

“Some other counties, they’re working with the travel fee or some other ways to kind of do a work-around,” Northern said. “But we know the state has set the gamefee rate, and that cannot be changed. But the state is working on a longterm plan to work that out. We’re trying to work with the district for a short-term kind of stopgap.”