Bracing for more potential cuts in the district’s budget for high school athletics, administrators have told all head coaches at Free State High and Lawrence High to plan on eliminating an assistant from their respective programs for the 2002-03 academic year.

If the cuts are approved for sports and cheerleading, 19 assistants at FSHS and 19 aides at LHS would be trimmed from the coaching staffs.

“Nobody is happy about it,” said FSHS athletic director Steve Grant, who should know within a month if the cuts occur. “But I think the coaches understand it’s due to the irresponsible actions of the state legislature and not funding education the way education is supposed to be funded.”

Cutting supplemental contracts for the assistants would trim approximately $50,000 from the district budget, Grant said. More than likely, the last coach hired will be the first to be released.

Grant has asked Supt. Randy Weseman to speak today to Free State coaches at FSHS.

“We’re just trying to address some issues and ease some concerns,” Grant said. “They (the coaches) are upset. They’re thinking enough’s enough and something has to give. Our hands are tied by the state-funding formula. I hope the Legislature comes to its senses or we elect people that are responsible.”

Cutting an assistant would create hardships for all programs, the school’s athletic directors and coaches said. Boys and girls tennis especially would be affected since one assistant is provided at both city schools.

“Tennis at Lawrence High and Free State High would take the biggest hit because they don’t have multiple assistants,” said fifth-year FSHS head tennis coach Jon Renberger, whose lone assistant for the boys and girls programs is Oather Strawderman. “I’m hoping it’s not going to happen and some funding will come through. Tennis is a lifetime sport, so it’s disappointing. We’re all kind of on pins and needles.”

In the past three years, Free State has produced two state singles champions in girls tennis  Laura Gravino and Emily Wang.

If Renberger loses an assistant, the head coach would have to slice his program in half.

“I’d have to drop the junior varsity program,” said Renberger, who would have to cut close to 20 girls and 20 boys. “If you travel to one varsity event, there’s no coach left to take care of the other players.”

FSHS boys and girls soccer coach Jason Pendleton wants answers soon regarding his programs’ futures.

“We want to know if it would be a temporary thing or long term,” Pendleton said. “A lot of people are up in the air about their jobs. I’m concerned if they don’t tell us soon that our assistants will find a job somewhere else. And if these cuts don’t happen, it’ll be too late to keep them here if they already have a new job set up.”

If Pendleton has to cut a coach, Nathan Olds, a 1999 Free State graduate, would be let go.

“He’s a young coach and offers great enthusiasm and desire, and this is what he wants to do,” Pendleton said. “It’d be tough to tell him to leave when he’s considering making a long-term commitment to coaching.”

FSHS track and cross country coach Steve Heffernan said: “I don’t think anyone wants to lose an assistant coach. It means less supervision at our practice. We’ll still have kids out, but we won’t be able to watch them as closely.”

LHS athletic director Ron Commons said his coaches also were bracing for more potential cuts.

“Everybody you talk to  coaches, teachers, parents and administrators  are concerned with what’s going on with the funding of education,” Commons said. “Our coaches are realistic enough to know times are tough everywhere.”