Fort community mobilizes to stop middle school sports cuts
FORT IRWIN • When Alicia Broadwater’s son Jeremy, a seventh-grader at Fort Irwin Middle School, heard that competitive sports programs at Silver Valley Unified School District middle schools were being cut down to intramural only next year, he was crestfallen.
“He was very very disappointed,” said Broadwater, who noted that her son plays basketball, baseball and runs cross country.
Parents in the Silver Valley district — particularly parents at Fort Irwin — are taking matters into their own hands after the school board’s decision to down-size middle school sports to competition within the district during a round of budget cuts in March.
District officials reported that cutting athletics would save $15,000 next year.
But not if fort parents have their say, according to Broadwater.
“The parents are passionate about it,” she said, noting that parents have already gotten the Officer’s and Civilian Spouses Club to donate to Fort Irwin Middle School.
Principal Charles Thatch said the middle school has submitted applications to the Association of the United States Army, an organization that supports military families, requesting a $3,000 grant for the athletic program.
“We’re pushing forward and trying to make that happen,” said Thatch, who said many parents have come to him concerned.
“There’s not much on the fort as it is,” Thatch said.
If middle school sports became intramural “it’d be like a P.E. class, basically,” he said.
Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Aaron Haughton noted that transportation was the main cost of the athletic programs.
Fort students typically travel 85 miles or more for away games, according to Thatch.
Haughton said they proposed the cut, at the time, based on information that other High Desert schools “would be either limiting or eliminating their middle school sports programs,” he said.
But since then, the middle school athletic director requested the High Desert Athletic League, which Silver Valley participates in, to send a letter to the school board with more accurate and updated information on the status of other schools, said League President Brian Scott.
According to Scott, while districts that Silver Valley competes against, like Apple Valley, Victorville and Hesperia, have made some cut backs like reducing coaching stipends or independent fundraising for transportation, none have identified participating in only intramural programs.
Some schools require a participation fee, including Scott’s school, Cobalt Middle School in Victorville, where students pay $30.
According to Haughton, Silver Valley middle-schoolers do not pay any fee.
Haughton said that if other districts decide to participate in the competitive league, Silver Valley could look at changing its decision.
Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4122 or elee@desertdispatch.com
