MARYSVILLE – Title 9 has been around for 44 years. It’s the law that requires public schools to offer equal athletics for boys and girls.
Marysville School District Athletic Director Greg Erickson was asked at the school board work session Monday how well this district is doing with Title 9.
“As best we can,” he said.
Erickson added that athletic offerings are based on student interest. He said what makes it hard to have equal opportunities is that many girls’ interest in participating in sports drops off in high school. He said girls participating in wrestling the past few years “has helped with compliance.”
Erickson was also asked how participation in sports has been since the district dropped its participation fee. The district’s athletic director said participation didn’t drop much when it was charged, and it didn’t increase much when it ended.
It was also brought up that some secondary schools are testing the waters of trying to start later in the day, after surveys consistently show older students perform better academically that way.
Erickson said that would present challenges here. He said it already can be hard for teams to start practicing right after school because so many of the coaches work outside of the school district. Later at that meeting, new finance director Mike Sullivan talked about increasing the district’s reserve from 3 percent to 8 percent, which is what many surrounding districts have. Board president Pete Lundberg said while that is the goal it doesn’t need to be accomplished next year, as there are ongoing costs that have priority
At the school board’s regular meeting that night, the members voted to increase Superintendent Becky Berg’s pay to $186,702 a year. “You’re doing a great job for the district, and we hope you will continue to do so,” Lundberg said. “We like the path we’re on, and you’re the person” to lead us. Berg applied for the superintendent post in the Snohomish School District recently, but later dropped out of consideration.
Also, Jason Thompson, executive director for Human Resources, presented the salary schedules for all of the district’s employees. “It’s the first time in my tenure we’ve been able to pull it off in one meeting,” he said. Board Member Chris Nation said he liked that agreements were all made in time to do that, “instead of piecemeal.” “I’d like every year” to be able to do it, Thompson added.
It was brought up that about $40,000 was given last month to the district in the form of gifts. Leading the way was more than $19,000 from the Allen Creek Elementary School PTSA for playground equipment and school upgrades.
Lundberg said he is excited for school to start up again. He said it feels like the start of the Major League Baseball season when all of the teams have a shot at the World Series.
“Hope springs eternal,” he said.
