The Athletic Subdivision met to confront a projected $94,441 deficit in the athletic revolving account, as rising transportation and coaching costs outpace current revenue. Tom Miller, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance, presented a revamped budget model that tracks expenditures on a sport-by-sport basis to provide greater transparency. Miller highlighted the severity of the funding gap, stating, That's the extent of our issue right here, this 94,441. It's what it costs to run our athletic program. To address the shortfall, the committee discussed a new tiered fee structure that could increase the cost of the first sport to $400, while potentially keeping a third sport free to encourage participation.

The committee spent significant time examining the equity of coaching allocations across various programs. Lara Brait noted that some sports currently have significantly lower per-athlete costs than others, leading to a sense of imbalance in how resources are distributed. Brait remarked, That part feels off, right? Because we keep wanting to look at the equity piece too, not just in budget, but like where are we going with the equation. Kendra Stetson expressed concerns about how fee increases might impact the student body, noting, I'm afraid that you know so many of our student athletes are pushed outside. Lauren Dargan, who assisted in the data organization, explained the new tracking system, saying, I did allocate those in the winter total... so then you'll see it live.

A proposal to add a third boys' lacrosse team was also a focal point of the discussion, driven by a projected 40 incoming freshmen interested in the sport. Chair Sean Costello acknowledged the difficulty of balancing program growth with fiscal constraints, stating, I think what we're doing is we're trying to figure that out and trying to bring in that equitable part too as well. Richard Greer, participating remotely, raised questions about the long-term sustainability of shifting coaching positions between sports, asking, If we're talking budget wise, if we're switching from girls to boys... what happens if it goes back? The committee also scrutinized the annual wrestling tournament, which currently loses approximately $4,000 annually due to high officiating costs and facility wear-and-tear.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:01 PM