With the meeting room packed with parents, teachers, and band and athletic fans, the Knox School Board, late yesterday afternoon, assured those patrons it had no intent to “do away” with any particular extracurricular activity in its 2016 budget cutting efforts.
Social media had been reporting all day that budget support of certain programs was scheduled to be drastically reduced or completely removed from the schedule of activities at the scheduled work session.
That didn’t happen.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa specifically reviewed two extra curricular budgets line by line, with athletic director Phil Owens, band director Craige Phipps and all three school principals providing details.
Board president Kirk Bennett closed the meeting by complimenting the audience, saying their attendance at the meeting showed “that they cared enough” to attend the 90-minute session to show their support.
However, board members indicated they might have to make some budget cuts in spite of the popularity of a program. It was noted that a number of students have transferred to Knox this year to take advantage of the corporation’s extracurricular offerings, which, in turn, will increase the state’s financial support. That will help.
In other action, the board considered a teacher transfer and a new hire as treasurer in the middle school.
