The Athletic Subdivision met this week to overhaul the financial tracking of local sports programs, proposing a shift toward a highly itemized, sport-by-sport budgeting system. Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Tom Miller emphasized that moving away from a global athletics budget toward specific spreadsheets is essential for long-term planning. Miller noted, I think until we get very digestible in a layman way spreadsheets that show what we've budgeted for certain items in each sport or we're spending in each sport and how that's all going into one big athletics budget, I think we're gonna struggle. Committee member Lauren Dargan agreed, highlighting that a three-tiered plan covering annual operations, uniform cycles, and unpredictable equipment needs is necessary to avoid budget shortfalls. Dargan explained, It’s basically operational budget, which is the must dos, the annual costs, uniforms, which is a component of that. But then a third tier is this, which is, you know, nets... the unpredictable stuff.

The committee engaged in a rigorous debate regarding the sustainability of sub-varsity teams, specifically a proposal to use eighth-grade waivers to keep the girls' junior varsity hockey program viable. While the Athletic Director reported that the program would have approximately 30 to 33 players with the waiver, Kendra Stetson questioned the fairness of the move compared to other sports. Stetson remarked, I’m also wondering about that equity question. Right? So, like if there we’ve had other teams that haven’t been able to field the JV team... we didn't offer waivers to them. Chair Sean Costello suggested that while the program is a valuable building block, the full committee would require more data before finalizing the decision. Costello stated, I think the school committee when they list it is going to want firm numbers and ideas. I know you were hoping to have a vote tonight, but we'll progress.

A new varsity ski team co-op with Cohasset High School was also introduced, offering local students the chance to compete at Ragged Mountain under a host agreement. The partnership is expected to involve around five local skiers at a cost of $80 per race, utilizing existing transportation resources where possible. Lara Brait suggested that as these new programs and co-ops launch, the district must become more proactive in tracking revenue from user fees. Brait suggested, Maybe for our monthly meeting we can include a stat of like how many are in our rears or how many we're waiting for just so we could see what's left.

Looking ahead to the spring season, staff reported a massive surge in interest for boys' lacrosse, with over 90 potential players necessitating the creation of a new freshman team. To manage the rising costs of coaching and stipends associated with such growth, Sean Costello proposed a new subcommittee for upcoming contract negotiations. A guest staff member highlighted the urgency of these additions, noting, Our numbers for boys across are through the roof, which is great. Um, we could potentially have over 80. The meeting concluded with a commitment to finalize the new "capital athletics budget" by early December to better forecast equipment needs over the next five years.