As you must know by now, a couple months ago, New Jersey's new republican governor,
Chris Christie, issued an executive order freezing $1.6 billion in aid to schools,
hospitals, colleges and transit. Less than a week later, he admitted that he would
need approval from the Democratic legislature to move any of that money into the
state's general fund to balance the budget. A balanced budget must be passed by the
state Legislature by June 30, the day before the fiscal year begins.
But most New Jersey public school budgets are being voted on next week and many
include heavy cuts on the premise that most of the governor's cuts will be approved.
This week, it seems appropriate to take a look at how the schools in the Cape-Atlantic
League area - and others in South Jersey - are approaching this very difficult situation.
As you can see in the attached chart, 11 schools from the CAL, including all non-public
schools, do not plan any significant cuts to their athletic programs. Most schools that
are making cuts are reducing the number of paid assistant coaches, cutting freshmen
programs or ending middle school programs.
The school that seems to be making the most significant cuts is Hammonton. Under its
proposed budget, varsity golf and swimming will be eliminated, the winter cheerleading squad
will be dropped, all freshmen teams will end and all middle school programs will be halted.
In addition - and you can bet this is the one that will get the biggest reaction in Hammonton -
home football games will be moved from Friday night to Saturday afternoon.
That latter step seems almost symbolic. If most accounts are accurate, Friday night football
games bring in a lot more revenue than Saturday games, enough to cover the costs of turning
on the lights and still show a larger profit.
Buena is the only other CAL school to already decide to drop varsity sports. Buena's budget
calls for the elimination of golf, swimming and indoor track, along with all middle school sports.
Freshmen sports are eliminated in Mainland's budget and some freshmen sports may be dropped at
Absegami and Middle Township. Middle school sports are gone in budgets at Atlantic City, Egg Harbor
Township and possibly Middle Township.
Cape May Tech does not plan to drop any programs or coaches but will eliminate courtesy buses, the
late transportation home for student-athletes and others involved in extra-curricular activities
after school hours. And Pleasantville has no plans to drop programs but may re-organize its
athletics department, eliminating a full-time director.
There are other athletics directors - Chris Lentz at Ocean City, Mike Pellegrino at Egg Harbor
Township, Steve Fortis at Absegami, Dave Bennett at Oakcrest and Scott Lodgek of Middle Township,
among them - who do not have tenure in their positions and might be concerned about their future.
Reportedly, Absegami head football coach Dennis Scuderi Jr., who does not have tenure as a teacher,
received a non-reemployment form.
Wildwood, which plays in the Tri-County Conference, plans to reduce the number of games played in
each sport, a decision that was made by the conference. In fact, the Tri-County is hoping to impose
its will on the rest of the state. The conference has circulated emails seeking support to convince
the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) to reduce the maximum number of
games in each sport statewide. The Shore Conference is also reportedly moving toward a reduced schedule.
And the Colonial Conference has dropped all freshmen sports among its members.
One CAL athletics director talked about the impact of eliminating freshmen programs. "There will be
some freshmen who will be hurt by it," he said, "but it will have just as big an impact on the juniors
who have been playing junior varsity, even though their chances of ever having an impact on the varsity
team were slim. These juniors will be eliminated to add more freshmen to the JV team."
Some other things being discussed as possible money-saving changes include more girl-boy doubleheaders
in basketball, having all boys and girls track teams compete simultaneously at the same site and creating
quad matches in golf, similar to wrestling.
All of these cuts will cause reactions. If you are a good swimmer, one who might be able to compete at
the collegiate level, why would you go to high school at Hammonton or Buena? The same with a golfer.
Eliminating programs will end up eliminating students, many of them moving to non-public schools that
are not affected by the cuts in state aid.
Talented young teachers, with no security in this atmosphere, will look for positions in Pennsylvania
or other states. And families with talented athletes may either move out of state or transfer their
children to non-public schools. The NJSIAA's recent decision to repeal its strict transfer rule makes
that easier.
There are efforts being made to restore the higher tax on those making $400,000 a year or more, a tax
that expired on Dec. 31 and is opposed by Gov. Christie. The tax would raise enough to cover all of
the educational cuts the governor seeks.
Things are tough and everybody needs to adjust until they get better. That includes teachers and coaches.
But to put school districts in a position where they are forced to make such massive changes makes things
even worse. New Jersey's budget problems started more than 16 years ago under Gov. Whitman. Trying to
solve them in one quick motion seems radical.
PROPOSED CAPE-ATLANTIC AREA ATHLETICS CUTS
School Potential budget cuts
Absegami Some assistant coaches, bus runs, possible freshmen programs
Atlantic City Middle school sports
Bridgeton Some assistant coaches
Buena Varsity swimming, golf & indoor track - middle school sports
Cape May Tech Courtesy busing
Egg Harbor Township Middle school sports
Hammonton Varsity golf, swimming, winter cheerleading, freshmen sports,
middle school sports, move varsity football to Saturday afternoon
Holy Spirit none
Lower Cape May Some assistant coaches
Mainland Freshmen sports, some assistant coaches
Middle Township Some freshmen and middle school sports and assistant coaches
Millville none
Oakcrest none
Ocean City none
Our Lady of Mercy none
Pleasantville Possible elimination of athletics director position
Sacred Heart none
St. Augustine none
St. Joseph none
Vineland none
Wildwood Some assistant coaches, reduce number of games
Wildwood Catholic none
