The Oxford School Board May 23 approved 5-2 the addition of a girls swim and diving team and boys and girls bowling team at the high school this fall.
Due to the current budget concerns growing in the district, the Oxford Athletic Boosters Club decided to earmark monies to subsidize the teams for one year at no cost to the district.
Athletic Director Pat Ball estimated it would cost the boosters approximately $10,000 to implement and run the teams for one year.
He told board members that adding a swim team was the school’s next priority on their list and that the Michgan High School Athletic Association just recently recognized bowling as an interscholastic sport.
Ball said there have been numerous students interested in joining either team.
Booster member Bill Keenist told the board that adding these teams would be a ‘positive addition to the overall athletic and academic experience? and that it’s a waste not to use the natatorium for a swim team.
‘It’s like having a Jaguar without a key,? he said.
But two of the board members, president Patricia Smith and secretary Judy Kubina, disagreed with forming the teams.
‘I’m not sure that this is really the direction the district should go in,? Kubina said. ‘That an outside group is basically picking what it is to represent our school.?
Kubina said it’s ‘very kind and wonderful? that the boosters want to support the teams, but she fears other special interest groups outside of athletics will want to do the same thing.
‘I don’t think that it is a good business (practice) for you to be put into,? she said.
Smith agreed, stating that although it is nice to create more athletic opportunities ‘the economy is still going down the toilet and we’re going to be cutting academics.?
‘Are we gonna have boosters come and form a group so we can have (the) paraprofessionals hired back that we’re laying off, or staff members that we’re laying off because of budget constraints?? she asked.
Trustee Doug Myer said it would be silly to not take advantage of the opportunity to reach a group of students who might not play the standard sports like basketball or football.
‘We’ve got the potential to try it for a year and we never have to pay for it,? he said to the other board members. ‘If someone comes to your house to cut your grass for free, would you tell them no??
Keenist said the community’s ‘foolish? if they don’t realize some families choose where they live based on whether a school offers a certain sport.
‘Oxford is expanding tremendously as a community and I think we have to keep up with that,? he said.