Franklin Area School District board president Brian Spaid announced impending cuts to the athletic department at Monday night’s meeting.
Effective next school year, student athletes will be required to pay for their own meals at events and trips during the non-playoff season, Spaid explained during his finance report.
“A significant amount of money is being spent on athletic meals. We just cannot keep up with it,” said Spaid.
Due to PIAA standards, the school district is required to pay for student athlete meals during in-season playoff competitions, said Spaid.
The school district will be looking into cutting nonessential costs within the athletic department, he said, and students may need to complete fundraisers in order to make up the costs.
“We have to get (spending) under control, otherwise we’ll be looking at bigger problems,” said Spaid.
In other news, curriculum and federal programs coordinator Ann Black discussed increasing staff numbers for the Title 1 Family Center program.
The federally funded program works with identified students in their homes to teach them math and reading skills, Black said.
Black said the funds exist to increase the number of teachers in the program to two.
“We have the Title funds to improve achievement and student success,” she said.
Franklin Area School District board will next meet at 7 p.m. April 24 in the Victory Elementary multipurpose room.
