IOLA ISD CUTTING SPENDING FOR MULTIPLE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS

  

Facing major budget cuts, Iola ISD is cutting spending for many of its athletic programs.

Several came forward during a recent school board meeting, complaining that the school’s budget isn’t allowing the school band to participate with the football team in September.

While Iola Superintendent Scott Martindale says the school band isn’t suffering cuts, parents were recently informed by the band director that the band will not be travelling to the football team’s three away games in September.  This is to save on fuel and meal costs.

The Iola school board has offered to pay for fuel for those games, if parents can provide for meals.

According to Martindale, the proposed budget actually has an increase in band fees, but that does not take the band’s potential absences into account.

Martindale said this year’s budget has had every athletic program making sacrifices, with spending cut by around $95,000.  He also noted every team pulls from the same fund for travel and meals.