School To Take Over Summer Ball Program, Soccer League

LINCOLN — Lincoln schools will take over the community’s summer baseball and softball program and recreation soccer league under a memorandum of understanding agreed upon by Lincoln School Board and Lincoln City Council.

According to the memorandum, the document is not a formal contract but rather an agreement the parties will work together to “promote a genuine atmosphere of collaboration and alliance in support of an effective and efficient partnership.”

The school district will maintain soccer, baseball and softball fields and facilities on site, provide insurance on facilities and participants, and will provide a coordinator for all youth programs (soccer, baseball, softball, football, basketball), according to the memorandum.

The city will pay $20,000 per year to the school district to help with costs and will pay all utility costs for the facilities, such as water, trash, sewer and electric.

Both parties will work together for funds and grants to help with costs of any major needs that arise, including but limited to, paving parking lots and streets, lights, structural repair and purchase or improvement of land.

“This hands off everything to one entity,” Lincoln Mayor Doug Hutchens said in explaining the memorandum of understanding to council members at their January meeting. “The management of kids’ sports is out of our wheelhouse now. We don’t have anyone in the city who can take care of that.”

Hutchens noted that 25 years ago, parents volunteered to take care of the programs. Today, it’s harder to get volunteers and a coordinator is needed to oversee the program, he said.

The school has people who are qualified as coordinators and also has ways to connect with parents for volunteers and to promote the leagues within the schools, Hutchens said. In addition, the school can reach out to the University of Arkansas for interns to help with the program, he added.

Hutchens described the memorandum as an agreement with “soft handcuffs” and said parts of it could be amended as needed.

“I approve of it,” Hutchens said. “I think it will be a good thing for the kids and the community all around.”

Lincoln City Council approved the memorandum at its Jan. 21 meeting.

Lincoln School Board approved the memorandum the day before, Jan. 20, with the stipulation the agreement would be reviewed again next year.

Don Birkes, Lincoln schools’ athletic director, told School Board members the school already handles youth basketball and football leagues and it makes sense to take over the responsibility for the other sports.

Birkes said he wants to keep kids involved with sports activities in Lincoln.

“We don’t want them going to neighboring towns and playing T-ball,” Birkes said. “The next thing we know they’ll want to go to those schools.”

Board member Kendra Moore recommended keeping a “tight relationship” with the city on the costs of the program.

“In the next five years, if we see growth and we need help, we want to be able to go to the city for help,” Moore said.

She also said she did not want to see school staff have to take on extra workload because of the changes.

Birkes agreed with her, saying he would work toward a “happy medium” that would benefit coaches and the program. Birkes said the school has used interns from the UA before and would try to do that again.

Birkes said his plan is to have a coordinator for the programs and a board of directors to help the coordinator.

Terms in the memorandum show that it can be amended at any time in writing by mutual consent of both parities. If funding is no longer available for the program, the city of Lincoln agrees to take over and resume all responsibilities for facilities, property and programs.

The memo also allows either party to cancel the agreement with 365 days of advance notice.