Following recent conversations at Board of Education budget meetings, district Athletic Director Matt Memoli presented a plan at the board's February 20 meeting to conduct a self-study of Newtown High School's athletic program.January's Financial Report

Some discussions during school board budget deliberations focused on equitability in funding for sports programs and other extracurricular activities. Mr Memoli responded by preparing a plan for the self-study for the athletic program. He shared details of the plan at the meeting.

Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr Lorrie Rodrigue she is confident the work "will have a very positive impact on the use of resources and the equitability across an entire program."

Committee members of the self-study, according to a handout from the meeting, will include Mr Memoli along with an assistant principal, teachers, parents, and a student-athlete representative.

"This will certainly impact, in a positive way, coaches, athletes, and the community at large," Dr Rodrigue said Tuesday evening.

The handout reads in part: "The mission of the Newtown High School Athletic Program Self-Study is to create a three-year plan to identify strengths evident in the athletic program, review areas of need, and promote equitable support for our sports teams."

Mr Memoli said he worked with Interim NHS Principal David Roach and Dr Rodrigue to form the plan. Mr Memoli also said the effort to form the plan was made to "not let this be forgotten until next [year's budget discussion] picks up and ... have all the same things occur."

The plan has three goals. As shared in the handout, the goals are to identify and celebrate the athletic program's strengths and how those should be leveraged to continue to improve successes; to perform a thorough and thoughtful analysis of department spending to identify gaps and improve an equitable system of financial support; and to develop clear and reasonable recommendations to the school board regarding a pay-to-participate fee structure for the 2019-20 school year.

At its meeting on February 1, the school board approved holding the district's pay-to-participate planned five-year reduction of fees charged, with the intent of discussing equity for funding sports programs.

The February 20 handout also outlined actions within the first goal, like gathering feedback from coaches, students, and parents.

School board member John Vouros said he "can't thank you enough" to Mr Memoli. He also added that if he was overseeing the self-study he would include two students on the committee, both a girl and a boy.

After multiple board members asked for periodic updates through the duration of the self-study, Mr Memoli said he or Dr Rodrigue would share ongoing information with the board.

School board Secretary Dan Cruson, Jr, said he would also like the self-study to look at the athletics program at Newtown Middle School.

"I want to make sure the middle school gets some consideration at some point," Mr Cruson said.

Dr Rodrigue said looking at other extracurricular programs - like the district's marching band program - for equitability will be part of another self-study in the district.

Also at the February 20 meeting, district Business Director Ron Bienkowski shared the month's financial report. According to the report, new estimates from the state indicate the district will be reimbursed at a 73 percent rate through the state's Excess Cost Grant program.

"Overall this represents $49,509 less than the previous estimate. However, it is still $151,450 more than what the budget assumed," the budget reads.

Mr Bienkowski also reminded the school board the new estimate for the Excess Cost Grant could change.

According to Mr Bienkowski, the 2017-18 budget is projecting an overall positive balance. As outlined in the report, the balance is projected to be $1,544.

"We are cautiously optimistic that these balances will hold until the end of the year, and may even improve," the report reads.