Novi School Board Discusses Adding Girls Lacrosse, School Construction Projects Proposed

The Novi Community School District Board of Education discussed several topics at its work session Thursday night, including possibly adding girls lacrosse as a JV and varsity sport at Novi High School.

The Board will vote on whether to add the sport at its next meeting Nov. 17.

The Board cited that 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, and Novi already has a boys lacrosse team.

Former Athletic Director Curt Ellis came to the Board in September to propose that girls lacrosse be added, but as a participant-funded sport.

Superintendent Dr. Steve Matthews suggested Thursday that the sport be district-funded to ensure quality between the girls and boys teams.

"I know that that is going to be a difficult question for you to wrestle with because you as a board have indicated to the athletic community that any new sports that came before the board needed to be participant-funded," Matthews said. "The reason that I'm suggesting that this be a district-funded sport is because we have a boys lacrosse program at this point. Asking the girls to pay when we're not asking the boys to pay presents us with some complex issues related to Title IX."

Board Secretary George Kortlandt questioned how this would be viewed to the current teams that are participant-funded.

"In the attitude that we've had about non-funded sports, the unwritten policy or the attitude is that if ever the district came upon money, that these sports would start to get funded," he said.

Matthews said as part of the district's 2011-12 goals, he will be examining all the sports programs. Treasurer Ann Glubzinski suggested that the district look at all of its other sports to see if there is still enough interest in all of them and if freshmen teams are needed for all of them.

Matthews said he will try to bring the board some data on the athletic programs by the board's next meeting to aid their decision.

Kortlandt also suggested that the district send out a survey to parents to measure interest in the sport.

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

Matthews said they may be able to look at the athletic budget to see if there is a way to fund girls lacrosse without increasing the budget, and Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Steve Barr said pay to participate would cover most of the cost.

Matthews assured the board that funding for girls lacrosse would not be taken out of another sport's funding.

Proposed construction projects

The board also discussed new construction bids using the Sinking Fund and 2007 Capital Projects Fund. All of the projects are mechanical upgrades and will completed this spring or summer. The board will officially vote to fund the projects at its next meeting on Nov. 17.

The proposed projects include the following:

• Replace pool air/water environmental system
• Retrofit Central Fan #1
• Retrofit Central Fan #2
• Retrofit Central Fan #3
• Replace kitchen air handler
• Replace combustion air equipment

/Instructional Technology Center

• Replace air handlers
• Replace chiller

• Replace air handler

• Retrofit boiler
• Replace hot water heater

• Replace furnace

Organizing purchasing processes

The board discussed implementing a new system called PaySchools that would allow parents to pay school-related fees online.

"If you have a high school student...you have to write a lot of checks for the high school for band uniforms, for yearbook, all kinds of things. PaySchools is a way to consolidate that to make it easier for our parents to get money to the school," said Matthews.

Parents could pay for field trips, pay to participate, fall registration, prom tickets and anything else school related online.

Barr said the system is also beneficial to the district because it saves the staff time.

More than 100 schools in Michigan have already implemented PaySchools. Novi hopes to start a pilot program for the high school in the spring.