Mike Donnelly, Clay high school athletic director, says, "It basically came down to opportunities for our kids." Donnelly says the high school sports shake-up is necessary to remain competitive and it begins in Oregon. The school board voted 5 to zero to withdraw from the Toledo City League at the end of the next school year.
Donnelly blames the Toledo Public School district's financial crisis and the TPS board's cutting of freshman and low-participation varsity sports. He says, "When those 6 schools are losing athletics in certain sports and certain levels, it's going to have an impact on our athletics. And that was something at this point in time we felt we needed to make sure that we took care of our own kids."
The resolution also calls for forming a new league that would include all non-TPS schools: Clay, Saint John's, Saint Francis, Saint Ursula, Central Catholic, Notre Dame, Whitmer, Findlay, Fremont and Lima Senior.
Oregon school board president Diane Karoly's son is on the tennis team. She voted in favor of the new league and to put a tax levy on the November ballot. She says, "We're in desperate need of this money in order to maintain the school district at the level that they're used to having."
The board unanimously agreed to ask voters to approve a 5.9 mill levy. It would generate $3.3 million a year for 5 years. The treasurer says it would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $181 a year.
The superintendent says the board has cut costs and employees agreed to concessions, but it's not enough. Superintendent Mike Zalar says, "We're to the point where we laid off 32 teachers last year and additional staff members. We've decreased our staff size by 15 percent. So any additional reductions in staff is going to translate into bigger class sizes, fewer programs, and decreased opportunities for kids."
The commissioner of the Toledo City League would not comment about Oregon withdrawing at the end of the next school year. He's waiting to find out more about the direction the other schools take.
