Many high school athletic directors and coaches across the District have not been paid for their work last school year, while some are just now receiving the paychecks they expected in July.
Meanwhile, D.C. Public Schools officials never allocated athletic budgets for the current school year, leaving some schools’ programs “running on fumes.” One high school athletic director said that reusing uniforms and equipment has kept his school’s sports afloat — but that the missing budget meant that if a student can’t afford cleats, “We don’t have the money to purchase that for the kid.”
A mother at Wilson Senior High School remembered her daughter coming home with a varsity soccer jersey — but no shorts.
Johnnie Walker, the athletic director of Dunbar Senior High School, said he asks himself every day why he returned in August without the approximately $2,600 he was owed for last year.
“We have coaches that worked last year that haven’t been paid, and I’m not talking 2010 football — I’m talking last school year,” Walker said. “I just got paid my athletic money from last year in January.”
Another athletic director said he knew many coaches who had not been paid for last school year, as well as for the fall. “It makes it very difficult for you to continue to coach, which is not about the money, but still,” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”
Schools spokeswoman Safiya Simmons said DCPS doesn’t have a policy on how quickly it must pay coaches. “We endeavor to pay all of our employees in a timely fashion, but in the situation of coaches and similar positions, sometimes external factors beyond our control affect that,” such as criminal background checks.
Simmons confirmed that the high schools have not received their sports budgets for the 2010-2011 school year, which athletic directors said they expected last summer.
Keino Wilson, athletic director of Coolidge Senior High School, said football ticket sales sustained the primetime athletic program but, “Smaller sports like crew, lacrosse, rugby — they really need the budget passed.”
Schools Without Walls Senior High School wants to start a lacrosse program, said Terry Lynch, vice president of the Parent-Teacher-Student Association.
“We haven’t been able to plan for spring sports equipment needs,” he said. “We’re running on fumes.”
After The Washington Examiner called DCPS about the absent budgets, Marcus Ellis, DCPS athletic director, e-mailed schools: “We have received great news! We will be able to disseminate your individual school budgets beginning next week.”
Still, Simmons said last year’s budget included funds for this year: “All of the equipment and things that the schools needed for this academic year they ordered last year.”
But coaches and directors said that was not the case.
“We’re desperately hoping for [the budget],” said Tony Morton, athletic director of Ballou Senior High School.
While fall and winter sports survived off fundraisers and frugality with last year’s funds, Morton said he needs to order new girls’ lacrosse and tennis uniforms. “We need to update equipment in the weight room — there’s quite a few things we need to do.”
