Novi School District To Fund Girls Lacrosse Program

More than 60 students at Novi High School who expressed interest in participating in a district-funded girls lacrosse program will get their wish this spring.

After much discussion Thursday night, the Novi Board of Education voted 5-2 for Novi to add a district-funded girls lacrosse program at . The program would include a JV and varsity team.

In the board's , members discussed whether it would be fair to add lacrosse as a district-funded sport when the board has said in the past that any new sports would be participant-funded.

But because Novi already has a district-funded boys lacrosse team, the district could run into Title IX issues by not funding the girls team the same way.

Girls lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in Michigan. Northville, South Lyon, Plymouth, Canton, Salem, Brighton and several other local high schools already have girls lacrosse teams.

Funding girls lacrosse

Funding for the sport will cost approximately $18,880 for the first year then $10,380 each year after that. The cost includes the following:

• Two coaching salaries - $7,500
• Officials for eight home games - $1,760
• Clock operator and tickets for eight home games - $640
• Trainer for eight home games for $60 each game - $480
• One-time purchase of home and away uniforms - $8,500

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Steve Barr said that adding girls lacrosse would likely not increase the overall athletic budget or take any money from other programs.

In the 2009-10 school year, the athletic budget had an underspend of $18,000. In 2010-11, there was an underspend of $68,000. The 2011-12 budget is slightly higher than the 10-11 budget, so Barr said that if spending is the same, Novi can expect to have $68,000 left.

The district would be able to use that underspend to fund girls lacrosse.

Treasurer Ann Glubzinski voted against funding the lacrosse program because she did not have enough information on the budget and how it would be funded.

"This evening is the first time I've heard we're sitting on excess money in the athletic budget. A few meetings prior we heard there was excess money in another budget, and I think it's a poor precedent to say we have excess money in the budget, so let's go ahead and spend it," she said. "I think that points to the fact that with a new assistant superintendent of business looking at our budgeting methods, we obviously have some tweaking to do. I think it's great that there was extra money in the budget, but I'm not willing based on hearing that just a few minutes ago to say I should spend it on girls lacrosse."

Participant-funded sports

Secretary George Kortlandt also voted against adding the sport as district-funded because he did not think it was fair to the five other sports that are not district-funded.

"I have a difficult time adding a sport at this time after we've said for over 10 years that we're not going to continue funding new sports. We're willing to add them, let them fly under our flag, be a school team, and honor them just like any other team but we're no longer able financially to do the funding of them. I have a difficult time now saying, but this one gets funded … If we truly feel that we are now in a position where we can fund this team—we talk about money that hasn't been spent—are we looking to fund the five other teams then?"

The five other teams are equestrian, skiing, figure skating, girls field hockey and middle school co-ed swim and dive.

Superintendent Dr. Steve Matthews said that many of these sports are niche sports with low participation and high expenses that would be difficult to fund anyway. The district can't by horses, he gave as an example.

Vice President Dennis O'Connor also said he would not want to look at funding those sports.

"That's not my feeling at all … in fact I'm even uncomfortable even talking about the concept of additional costs added to the athletic department … I perceive this request as a one-time only exemption based on Title IX," he said.