Coaches employed by the Coupeville (Wash.) School District’ are willingly sacrificing their bonuses and part of their stipends in order to spare athletic programs of imminent budget cuts.
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Coaches employed by the Coupeville (Wash.) School District’ are willingly sacrificing their bonuses and part of their stipends in order to spare athletic programs of imminent budget cuts.
As reported by the Whidbey News Times, Coupeville athletic director Willie Smith and his successor, Brad Sherman, wrote a letter May 23 to district superintendent Steve King asking for the district to reduce coaching stipends by 10 percent — or by about $12,000 — and to eliminate post-season bonus pay for eligible coaches — worth about $8,000.
The district, which is bracing to end the school year with a negative fund balance, is expecting to cut $1.66 million from the 2024-25 budget.
“We believe our sports programs and activities provide a strong connection and partnership with this community, and it’s part of what makes Coupeville very special,” the athletic directors wrote.
In the past, they added, the district eliminated “any possibility of C-Teams,” Boys Tennis and the Athletic Trainer Position — which was saved thanks to a fundraiser.
"According to Sherman and Smith — who is resigning at the end of the current school year — the district has a history of not restoring funds cut from athletic programs and activities," Louisa Loi reported in the News Times. "For this reason, they said, coaches would rather see their pay reduced rather than letting program cuts negatively affect students and the community."
Loi reported that coaches have not received a pay raise since 2019 and have lower salaries compared to other coaches in the region, according to a message the district sent to the community last week.
According to the athletic directors, an inexperienced coach in other school districts makes more than a coach with 20 years of experience in Coupeville.
“Our coaches do not do what they do for the money. It’s for the love of our kids, passion for their sports and activities, and a deep desire to build programs of significance,” they wrote.
