Programs with 412 players face cut

Here’s latest count of players in SVUSD high school lacrosse programs …

• El Toro: 75 boys, 62 girls
• Laguna Hills: 36 boys, 37 girls
• Mission Viejo: 68 boys, 28 girls
• Trabuco Hills: 67 boys, 39 girls

That’s a total of 412!

OC Register: Lacrosse supporters start petition to save program

Lacrosse supporters start petition to save program
Online petition to SVUSD has gotten more than 1,900 signatures.
By LINDSEY BAGUIO
The Orange County Register
March 5, 2009

MISSION VIEJO — More than 1,900 supporters have signed a petition to save the lacrosse program in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District after learning the sport is on the chopping block.

The district is considering eliminating the program as part of its budget cuts for next year. Jody Craycraft, of Lake Forest, started an online petition on Tuesday after parents and other lacrosse supportersasked what they could do to take action. In response to the state budget, the district will need to cut $10 million from next year’s budget and about 134 jobs, including 33 classroom teachers.

The district would save a projected total of $244,000 by eliminating lacrosse, roller hockey, and coaching stipends for assistant coaches, said district spokesman Tom Turner. For lacrosse, a bulk of district funds have gone toward coaching stipends, field maintenance and utilities, he said.

Craycraft has three children who play the sport and says it’s not fair the district is singling out lacrosse. “At the very least don’t eliminate the sport,” said Craycraft. She would consider payingto keep her kids in the program. “We want them to see it’s not an option to cut this out of so many kids lives,” she said. “We don’t want to attack the board it’s not their fault,” she said. “We understand budget cuts have to happen.”

The next school board meeting is on March 10 at 6:15 p.m. at Mission Viejo High School. The board will not a make a decision on the issue, but will hear out concerns from attendees, said Turner. Craycraft estimated about 800 lacrosse supporters were planning to attend the meeting.

You can find the petition at www.petitiononline.com/SVUSDLAX/petition.html

Sign online the board petition

An online petition to be presented to the SVUSD board has been created. Please go to: http://www.petitiononline.com/SVUSDLAX/petition.html (You may be able to click on this link or you may need to cut and paste to your Internet browser.)

Please sign this petition and forward to any one you know who supports the Saddleback Valley Lacrosse Community.

The petition reads:

Board Members,

It has come to the attention of the Saddleback Valley Community that the status/ and or funding of C.I.F. lacrosse is in jeopardy of being eliminated throughout the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. This will have a devastating effect on hundreds of players, their families, fans, and upcoming lacrosse players.

We are asking you to:
• Not “Eliminate” Lacrosse from the Saddleback Valley Unified School District
• Not “Eliminate” Lacrosse funding from the Saddleback Valley Unified School District

Please consider:
• Lacrosse is considered to be America’s first sport, born of the North American Indian.
• Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing team sports in the United States.
• Lacrosse carries large rosters allowing many HS men and women to participate.
• Youth participation in the sport has grown over 500% since 1999 to nearly 250,000.
• No sport has grown faster at the high school level over the last 10 years.
• There are now an estimated 200,000 high school players.
• Lacrosse is also the fastest-growing sport over the last six years at the NCAA level.
• There are more than 500 college club programs, including nearly 200 women’s teams that compete at the US Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates level, giving many opportunities to lacrosse players
• Many former SVUSD lacrosse students have benefited from scholarships and opportunities to play in college.

Possible Solutions:
• Look for ways to cut expenses within the lacrosse budget (Competitive bids for field lining etc.)
• Take proportionately from each sanctioned sport distributing the budget burden out for the least impact.
• Consider the budget cuts that have impact on the least amount of SVUSD students and families.
• If you are not willing to have the other sports shoulder the budget crunch alongside lacrosse, please continue to sanction C.I.F. lacrosse and allow programs to self fund

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Talk to your school principals

Talk with or email your principal and vice principals … especially VP’s of athletics! Find out what they recommend and make sure to thank them for supporting lacrosse on your campus.

Board member emails

If emailing board members, please remember to be courteous and consider they most likely got into education because they care about what happens to the kids. It can’t be easy trying to figure out how to implement such devastating budget cuts.

Below are the board member emails …

nancy.kirkpatrick@svusd.org
dore.gilbert@svusd.org
ginnyfay.aitkens@svusd.org
don.sedgwick@svusd.org
suzie.swartz@svusd.org
trevor.geller@svusd.org (Trevor is a senior at THHS and the student representative. He doesn’t have an official vote but his opinions are definitely heard)

Board member Bio information …

Great sample letter #2

March 2, 2009

Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Mission Viejo , CA 92691

Via facsimile:

To Whom it may concern;

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program or activity at any educational institution that is a recipient of federal funds.

Athletics, drama, band and other extracurricular student activities are considered to be educational programs under this law.

Currently Mission Viejo High School has the following sports available for male students:
Cross Country, Football, Water Polo, Basketball, Soccer, Wrestling, Baseball, Golf, Roller Hockey, Swimming, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball and Lacrosse.

Currently Mission Viejo High School has the following sports available for female students:
Cross Country, Golf, Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, Water Polo, Softball, Swimming, Track & Field and Lacrosse.

In reviewing just one high school it seems that male students have the ability to participate on 13 different teams whereas female students only have the ability to participate in 11. In accordance to Title IX the female student body is not being given equal rights to participate in educational programs.

I understand the philosophy of first in first out but would appreciate the opportunity to see how many players at the Saddleback Valley Unified School District will be affected by removing Lacrosse from their choices of available sports. I would also like to see how many students are participating in sports such as Cross Country, Tennis, Golf, Water Polo, Volleyball and Wrestling. In reviewing possible budget cuts I think we should review what impact this has on our students and is it truly the sport to cut? Does it affect more and less students as other sports.

I also understand that the decision to remove lacrosse is also a financial decision and would appreciate having the opportunity to see how much the Saddleback district is spending for not only lacrosse but for the many other sports currently offered at our district. I believe this audit will help us det ermine if lacrosse is truly the sport to cut or possibly other sports should be removed to assist the budget concerns for our upcoming school year.

I know one area shows the cost to line the fields is $4,050 yet schools like Mater Dei, J-Serra, SMAA pay $300 per field for dual markings. Plus the paint runs about $50 per case and they buy 3 cases of erasable paint. Do we possibly require all CIF sports to self fund themselves so that all sports can remain at the SVUSD? What is truly fair to all students?

Another concern has been injuries at the lacrosse level being a factor in having it removed. I would like to see what the total injury count on this sport versus all other sports is so that this concern can be confirmed and if this is truly not the case. How do these injuries cost the school district in relationship to funding?

I would truly hope that no player is asked to give up the ability to participate in a sport. Lacrosse for my family has given us the op portunity to have my daughters play a sport for the first time in their lives.
We need to also realize that SVUSD will be one of the only districts that does not have a CIF Lacrosse team, if our kids want to play where and who would they play against. The closest boyʼs lacrosse club team is in Huntington Beach and those boys have to travel to places like Saugus, Newbury Park and La Quinta to play. Do we want to do that to our students? I do not even know where our girls would have to go to.

Lacrosse has many students now playing at 2nd through 8th grade levels. In order for these kids to continue to play High School lacrosse we are asking them to attend private High Schools to get their education and have the ability to participate in sports. We have already lost many players to private education, can we afford to lose even more?
Soccer is so competitive at the high school level and as a program that has over 100 girls tryout my daughter would have never had the chance to play, golf is extremely expensive and as a low income family we in no way could afford this.

Lacrosse is one sport that all students can have the opportunity at a high school level to learn and be able to participate in even if you have never played before. Lacrosse was established as early as the 1100ʼs how many current sports at Saddleback district can say that.

Lacrosse Mom

Great sample letter #1

Members of the board, we are here once again talking about cutting activities at school.

I understand times are tough, but why must we make our children suffer the consequences, when we as adults and politicians ALWAYS SAY our schools are first. Now is the time to show parents, kids, politicians and others enough is enough taking from our schools.

I have voted since I turned 18, and I remember each time politicians bring education to the table, but then we cut teachers and programs and we wonder why kids get discouraged with school.

Other districts try to start after school programs to keep kids from joining gangs etc. WE NEED TO KEEP our acrtivities not cut them. THEY (Kids) SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING.

I have coached Little League for more then 9yrs and have ALWAYS been involved in my children’s activities and will continue.

I have been a Police Officer for 20yrs and see the effects of school cut backs, and the trouble teens get into when not involved in school or activities.

I have included some Bio’s for each one of you, that YOU listed as priorities, and the common theme is to Grow programs and put OUR children FIRST!!!!!! NOW’STHE TIME TO SHOW US!!

Thank you for what you do and your time,

Lacrosse Dad

OC Register: Girls, coaches react to potential elimination

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Lacrosse players and parents brace for battle

District’s cost-savings plan includes eliminating newly sanctioned sport.

By CAMERON BIRD and ALEJANDRA MOLINA

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

MISSION VIEJO – As varsity girls scrimmaged Saturday, parents and others wondered if they were witnessing the beginning of the end for local high school lacrosse.

Saddleback Unified School District this week included the sport in a list of potential budget cuts, along with roller hockey. Districtwide, every assistant coach could be let go.

These plans don’t sit well with Karen Paliska, who kept score at field’s edge during the preseason weekend game between Mission Viejo and Trabuco Hills high schools. Her daughter Allie, a senior, will be picking up lacrosse in the fall at Maryland’s Salisbury University.

Lacrosse, North America’s oldest team sport, is relatively new to Southern California. Laguna Hills and El Toro high schools also offer the sport, but club teams are sparse in the area.

Three years ago, Mission Viejo boosters raised $66,000 in two weeks to seed the lacrosse program.

“To cut it would just be a tragedy,” said Karen Paliska.

Lacrosse’s newness is also a liability when it comes to cutting costs, said district spokesman Tom Turner.

“It’s growing in popularity but it was also the last sport that the CIF sanctioned as an interscholastic sport,” he said. “By just objective criteria, it would be the first to look at to be cut.”

In response to the state budget signed last Friday, the district will need to cut $10 million from next year’s budget and about 134 jobs, including 33 classroom teachers.

By eliminating lacrosse and roller hockey, along with letting go assistant coaches, Turner said the district would save a total of $244,000.

For lacrosse, district funds have gone toward coaching stipends, field maintenance and utilities.

Some parents said they would be willing to self-finance the program if the district withholds money. Players are already responsible for paying hundreds of dollars for equipment, travel and other fees.

Sara Haase, who coaches junior varsity girls at Trabuco, played for the varsity team last spring. She remembers fighting alongside others to get the sport sanctioned, and said boosters would bring that same vigor to bear now.

“We’re not ready to lose it,” she said.

The next school board meeting is on March 10 at Mission Viejo High School. Turner said the board will continue to consider the proposed cut list as they learn more details about the state budget and incoming federal stimulus money.

Drew Yasbek, assistant junior varsity coach at Trabuco, said the team plans to go straight from a game to the next meeting to express their opposition to the district cuts.

A player on the same team, freshman Alyssa Ransom, said she enjoys the challenge of the sport, which is greater than any other she’s experienced.

Likewise, a cross-section of parents said the battle to get lacrosse sanctioned has been worth it. Some, like Heather Armes, under the shade of a bright red umbrella on Saturday, said they’re staying optimistic.

“Like everything, they feed you the worst news,” said Armes, whose sophomore daughter plays on Mission Viejo’s varsity team. “We still have hope it’ll be a different story in the end.”

OC Register: Saddleback Valley to cut lacrosse

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Saddleback district prepares to cut $10 million, 134 jobs

Latest plan scales back sports and bus service, boosts class sizes.

By SCOTT MARTINDALE
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

MISSION VIEJO – The Saddleback Valley Unified School District will need to cut $10 million from next year’s budget and about 134 jobs – including 33 classroom teachers – in response to the state budget signed Friday.

At a school board meeting Tuesday, district officials outlined a cost-cutting plan that includes canceling the college-level International Baccalaureate program at two of the district’s four high schools, scaling back the popular class-size reduction program in the primary grades, and making bus transit available only in areas with a “high need.”

Also under the plan, funding for high school lacrosse and roller hockey would be wiped out completely, as would all high school assistant sports coaches and the last remaining certificated librarians in high schools.

The cuts list also includes the Language Arts Assistance Program in elementary schools, which helps prevent children who struggle with language arts from falling through the cracks.

“No matter what we put on this list, people are going to say, ‘You can’t cut that; it’s too important,’ ” Trustee Dore Gilbert said at the meeting. “The reality is we’re going to cut.”

The school board is expected to authorize issuing layoff warnings at a March 10 board meeting. The layoffs become official if not rescinded by May 15.

The district lost money from its current 2008-09 budget, but officials said it was too late to make any cuts this year and the cuts would all be rolled into the 2009-10 budget.

Some parents who addressed the school board said trustees need to be more aggressive in addressing the budget crisis.

“You have a choice to continue to sit around and be stuck making decisions that will devastate, or you can be pioneers and explore new revenue,” said parent Amanda Morrell of Trabuco Canyon, who has two kids.

Also discussed was the continuing controversy over the school board’s January decision to keep Mission Viejo’s O’Neill Elementary School open. District staff had recommended closure this June as a cost-savings measure, but it was spared in a 3-2 school board vote.

On Tuesday, parents and some trustees said the school district should not be cutting programs and teachers without also closing O’Neill. The school’s closure would save the district about $500,000 annually in overhead expenses.

“If ever there was a time for us to be prudent, it’s now,” said parent Dolores Winchell of Lake Forest, who has two kids. “Cutting programs instead of closing underutilized schools is unconscionable.”

Although trustees said the $10 million in cuts would be devastating, the figure is not as bad as initially feared. Before the state adopted a 17-month state funding plan for public education, Saddleback officials said the cuts might top $19 million. The district was able to bring that figure down, in part, thanks to the state’s new flexibility on how schools spend some categorical funds – money that previously could only be spent on specific programs.

Under the rosier budget picture, some areas previously proposed to be eliminated – including the elementary vocal music program and all of the district’s assistant principals – are no longer on the recommended cut list.

“The school board should be commended for acknowledging that music and arts are core curriculum subjects that are weighted just as heavily as math, science, history and English,” said parent Dave Moehring of Rancho Santa Margarita, who has a son in high school.