Indiana school district cuts all athletic director positions
According to the South Bend Tribune, five athletic administrators were notified by the deputy schools superintendent that they would be reassigned to teaching duties in June. Beginning with the 2019-20 academic year, the district would create a “dean of students and athletics” job that will absorb the athletic director’s duties, along with a number of other administrative roles outside of extracurriculars.
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Public school athletic programs nationwide have faced deep cuts over the last decade, and sometimes the restructuring includes the athletic administrator job. The problem is that most school districts don’t give enough credit to how difficult or comprehensive the job can be. One of the South Bend athletic directors made that point to the local newspaper.From the article:
Adams High School Athletic Director Bill Groves said it’s common for him to work up to 14 hours a day, and often seven days a week. South Bend high schools do not have assistant athletic directors. In comparison, Penn High School has two assistant athletic directors.
“I’ve fought to keep my head above water,” Groves said. “Who in their right mind would take a job that’s impossible for one person to do? Nothing runs on auto-pilot. What they’re trying to do will be a step back for athletics.”
The deputy schools superintendent said declining enrollment, funding challenges and “leadership assessments” factored into the decision. As the article notes, he did not disclose how much money the district would save by making the change.
Read more from the South Bend Tribune.
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Is there any precedent across the country for this type of move?
There are schools in South Carolina that are doing this as well and putting the direction of their Athletic Department under an Assistant Principal. It is thought that this will be both a cost cutting move as well as having better academic-athletic integration at the bigger schools.