Schools

Community Groups Come to Aid of High School's Sports

The organizations are helping with transportation fees imposed by the cash-strapped athletic department.

Community groups and parents are stepping up to help Culver City High School sports teams make up for a 70 percent budget cut to their transportation funding for the 2010-2011 year, which has forced the athletic department to enact a $100 "transportation donation" in order to make up for the deficit.

Culver High has 23 sports with approximately 700 athletes, but not every family can afford the transportation fee.

"It would be a burden on many of the families in our community," said Booster Club President Steve Stautzenbach. The club is donating $20,000 for athletic transportation.  "For those families that cannot afford the entire transportation fee, they are asked to contribute a partial fee, and our donation is going toward helping the neediest families in our community."

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Chris Richardson, Culver City Education Foundation administrator, said a grant from the foundation is possible. In the past, the foundation has awarded grants to Culver City schools for music education, laptops and peer tutoring.

In addition, the Culver City Exchange Club gives "thousands and thousands of dollars to directly benefit Culver City High School students," said Councilman Scott Malsin, Exchange Club member. The specific amount to be donated to athletic transportation for this year is not known.

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Athletic transportation funds, which are used for buses to transport the teams, were slashed from $100,000 to $30,000.

This is the first time Culver City High will charge athletes for sports they participate in, athletic director Jerry Chabola said.

There will be a discount for students who play in more than one sport—an athlete who plays two sports will play $150, a family with two kids and one sport each will pay $200. The maximum any family would pay would be $250, despite the number of children and the sports they play.

"I think the decision from the school board to cut from athletics rather than general education or teachers' salaries shows that education in our schools is priority," Diana Aceves, whose son is entering his junior year and plays varsity baseball. "Playing sports is an extracurricular activity, and as parents we should expect to pay extra costs for our children to play."

Chabola is weighing different options to help make up for the deficit, including purchasing vans for athletic department use and getting parents--once they are cleared through the school--to drive to games.

Even with the financial troubles, Chabola's goal remains the same: Every kid who wants to play gets  to play.

"First and foremost, my personal philosophy, even before I became athletic director, is that I will help provide as many opportunities for young people as I can," Chabola said.  "Even with limited resources, we have continued to offer young people opportunities."

But if it don't gather enough extra drivers and money from donations, the athletic department will be forced to cut games. All donations for fall sports are due by Sept. 15;  money for other sports is due by Oct. 15.

While Chabola grapples with the department's financial difficulties, his coaching staff will be focusing on the students.

"Our coaches are dedicated to our athletes," he said. "We have coaches who are coaching during the summer and they get no money for that.  Our coaches are great people who love kids and because of that, we will work this out."


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