Budget problems force Belfast to cut 3 sports Cheerleading, gymnastics, boys tennis targeted

The proposed budget for the 2003-04 school year in the Belfast school district does not include funding for the high school’s cheerleading squad, gymnastics team and boys tennis team.

Belfast Area High School Principal Butch Arthers said the move would save the district approximately $34,000.

“It’s not good because when you do that you affect kids directly. It seems like we keep chipping away and it affects the other programs,” Arthers said.

Arthers said due to the city’s economic situation, the district’s superintendent was asked to bring in a budget with no increase from the 2002-03 budget.

“[The school board] is cutting $1.2 million and to ask athletics to cut $34,000, I’m sure the school board is looking at it from the side that they have to show they did something with athletics. It’s political,” Arthers said.

He said increases in “fixed charges,” such as salaries, health benefits and fuel costs have been estimated at $800,000. Additionally, the district is receiving roughly $400,000 less in state subsidies than the year before.

“We looked at programs that would affect the fewest kids,” Arthers said.

He said the [winter sports] cheering squad had seven participants, while the gymnastics had 11 and the boys tennis team could muster just five players.

“They were very much in danger of not having enough to field a [boys tennis] team this year,” Arthers said.

The sports-related cuts include an assistant coaching position at the city’s middle school.

Arthers said the cuts come despite an increase in the city’s overall valuation by the state. He said that was due in part to the city’s location as a coastal town.

The increased valuation results in less state money being made available to the city.

“Belfast is in a tough position. We’re property rich but the median income in the area is staying the same,” Arthers said.