Minster's athletic success has a cost

MINSTER - With athletic success comes greater financial cost, school board members learned on Monday.

Athletic director Josh Clune informed members that funds in the self-supporting athletic program are very low. The department's major revenue source is ticket sales. However, the cost to support teams as they continue into postseason tournaments and playoffs is weighing heavily on the budget.

"When we have success in the athletic department, we spend a lot of money in order to support those teams that move on," he said. "We've had a lot of success recently, but it's costly. The money we get back from the state (doesn't) even come close to what it costs us to go. Success is great, but success is not great on the bottom line."

Clune said maintaining funds has become increasingly difficult.

"I've been here 10 years, and it seems that every summer, the athletic department is out of money," he said. "Then we borrow money from the general fund and pay it back around September or October (after football ticket sales come in). This year we're going to be a lot more in the red than in the past."

District treasurer Laura Klosterman affirmed Clune's comments, reporting the department has been in the red by an average of $3,500 each of the past three summers.

Clune did not ask for increased funding but suggested board members consider various options, such as cutting the number of games or the number of teams, charging a participation fee, asking for more financial help from booster clubs or placing the athletic department's finances into the district budget. No decision was made, but Clune said he is speaking with booster organizations and will report back to board members next month.

In other news, work on the $10.3 million renovation project of the middle/high school is underway with a great deal of work scheduled for the summer. Superintendent Brenda Boeke said completed work, including three pending change orders totaling just over $23,000, has used about 5 percent of the $9.5 million awarded in bids earlier this year.

According to Boeke, work on removing ceiling tile, which had been scheduled to be done May 24 was completed on Monday, so work is slightly ahead of schedule with a long way to go.

The middle/high school building will close to all students and staff after this week and will not reopen until Aug. 28.

Junior/senior high school principal Jason Spencer said all seniors slated for graduation have met their requirements. Commencement rehearsal on Sunday went well. The seniors on their final day took a last walk around the halls to the cheers of other students.

"They were so eager to get out, but after they had walked the halls, they all stopped in the lobby and nobody wanted to leave," Spencer said. "All the emotion just hit."

Members also approved the revised five-year financial forecast from Klosterman, who will file the forecast with the state this week. The outlook is good, Klosterman reported, but account balances will decline in the next few years. Spending could exceed revenues by 2024 or 2025.

In other action, members,

• approved the 2018 list of graduates.

• adopted a resolution authorizing membership renewal in the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

• approved membership in the West Central Ohio Assistive Technology Center Consortium.

• set the next board meeting for 6 p.m. June 21 in the large meeting room at the elementary school.

• approved the annual compliance report from the food service program.

• approved the payment of bills and adjusted appropriations.

• accepted the resignations of groundskeeper Brian Drexler and high school math teachers Tyler Karhoff and David Borcher.

• rescinded the contract of Melissa Utrup as intervention specialist and offered her a one-year contract as junior/senior high school guidance counselor.

• offered teaching contracts to Brian Stepley, Mandy Bornhorst, Chelsea Oren, Alexis Blum, Abby Brigadoi, Marianne Bruns, Emily Funk, Cami Garman, Samantha List and Christa Prenger.