Committee accepts gift, reinstates golf
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School Committee accepted a gift on Tuesday, Aug. 28, from the Oakmont Booster Club to front the money for the varsity golf team.

The committee held an emergency meeting with just over 24-hours notice after a couple of members of the committee and the administration were approached with a proposal to fund the golf team.

The golf team was eliminated at the committee's Aug. 15 meeting as part of the cuts to the athletic department as a result of the failed override for additional school funding. Members of last year's golf team and their parents approached the school committee at the Aug. 21 meeting to voice their displeasure at seeing the varsity level team eliminated.

"It's really a proposal by the Boosters to make a gift," said School Committee Chairman David Christianson.

Nancy Bakanowsky said the Booster Club meet in an emergency meeting on Friday, Aug. 23, to address "the golf team crisis." The Boosters voted to front the team the entire cost of running the golf program, $5,379, less the $100 per participant fee.

The school district will collect the $100 fee from the participants, which is the same fee being collected from each of the school's athletes. Once participation is determined the district will let the Boosters know the final costs.

"The proposal is a great proposal," said Commit- tee member Jamie Rheault.

He expressed concern that there is a deficit of over $1,000 expected in the athletic budget based on 50 percent funding of the department from the operating budget and a prediction of 800 students participating and contributing the $100 fee.

"We have to lessen that deficit somehow," Rheault said.

Other committee members said the golf team should not be responsible for funding that difference because they are not receiving any funding from the school district.

"The important thing here is we are setting a precedent," Christianson said.

Committee members agreed.

Committee member Ellen Holmes

said the committee may be setting a

precedent for the remainder of the year but not necessarily for the next few years. She said the process can change if there is a need.

Laura Weiderman, a committee member, said she thought a policy on how to accept gifts in regards to funding non-district funded activities should be developed as soon as possible.

"I believe there should be a policy in place before we do anything," she said.

She did vote to accept the offer by the Boosters because the golf team's season starts next week.

One of the comments from the Booster Club is that they do not know how many times they can front the money for teams.

"There is only so much money in the Booster's till," said Joel Sibley.

The wrestling and the indoor track teams were eliminated as part of the cuts to the athletic program as were the freshman teams for football and basketball and the junior varsity ice hockey team.

Sibley said the Boosters told the golf team they had to repay the money as they conduct fundraisers to get the money to fund the team.

He doesn't expect there will be a problem but added "if they don't repay that money that will probably have an impact on our future decision to front money."