State cuts may
shut down some
prep sportsVictims would start small, but
basketball, baseball, soccer could
be affected too, an official says
Some public school sports seasons may not be held this year if state mandated budget reductions go through as planned, the head of one of the state's high school athletic leagues said yesterday.
Dwight Toyama, executive secretary of the Oahu Interscholastic Association, said the Department of Education's 18.5 percent withholding in its allocation to athletics would lead to the elimination of coaching positions and several major sports this coming school year.
"There's no way to get around it, we're going to have to cut sports," Toyama said. "Major sports too, it's not just cutting the little guys."
Toyama, who handles budget matters for the state's public school leagues, will meet with the executive secretaries of the other four leagues tomorrow and with schools superintendent Pat Hamamoto next week to discuss the withholdings.
Toyama received the reduced state funds for the first quarter of the upcoming school year on Tuesday afternoon. He said if the 18.5 percent reduction holds for the remaining three quarters, more than 500 coaching jobs would have to be cut.
He said he hopes the funds can be restored for the remainder of the school year.
"Everything's up in the air," Toyama said. "I just got the first-quarter money, so it's hard to plan. ... In October, when the second quarter comes down, we should have a better understanding. And if it remains status quo, then we're going to have to make major decisions."
Under that scenario, Toyama listed boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball and softball among the possible casualties.
The withholding is the result of instructions from the state Department of Budget and Finance to the DOE to reduce its budget by $12 million.
DOE spokesman Greg Knudsen said the Board of Education has yet to determine where the specific cuts will be made.
"Nothing has been determined in a finished way yet," Knudsen said.
He said the figure of 18.5 percent came from a formula applied to all of the affected programs to cover the $3 million that would need to be cut for the first quarter.
The withholdings did not affect core academic programs and special education.
Knudsen said the Board of Education's committee on budget and fiscal responsibility meets on Aug. 13 and its recommendations will likely be presented to the full board at its meeting on Aug. 21 or Sept. 4.
"If the board determines as early as August to rearrange the distribution of the reductions, (athletics) might get it back," Knudsen said. "I'm not saying that necessarily will happen, but it's possible, so it is too soon to say.
"There's certainly concern for athletics," he added. "But if it doesn't come from athletics it has to come in a greater share from somewhere else. So it's not easy anywhere we turn."
Toyama said the athletics budget had taken cuts of around 9 percent each of the past five years, but those cuts were limited to transportation and equipment. He said the new reductions were applied to all facets of athletics, including coaches' salaries.
Toyama added that by getting the money in increments rather than as a lump sum, as he had in previous years, planning for the winter and spring seasons is difficult.
"There was an urgency to get it done before the details were in place because schools are starting up," Knudsen said.
"I know Dwight is concerned about getting into the season and they need to know what to budget for the season. ... They might be even forced to start something up and, just through lack of funding, shut down early or something."
If sports are cut, Toyama said those that aren't sponsored by all five of the state's leagues could be the first to be eliminated. An example is soft tennis, which is offered only by the OIA.
He said the number of students affected and the cost to operate a sport will also be factors in deciding which sports might be cut.
Toyama said football remains the biggest expense for athletic programs, but it's also the sport schools depend on to generate revenues to fund other sports.
He added that simply dropping junior varsity programs is not a desirable solution.
"Those are the kids who need it most," he said. "The most critical age is the ninth-grade year."
Should the public schools not be able to hold seasons in certain sports, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association state tournaments in those sports also would not be held.
"It's devastating for our student-athletes, many of whom hit the books and stay out of trouble because they participate in sports," said HHSAA executive director Keith Amemiya. "Secondly, this will hurt the HHSAA and all of the leagues in lost revenue by not having regular-season games and the state tournament."
The prep sports season is slated to begin with preseason football games on Aug. 22. The OIA regular season opens on Aug. 29.
