After a six-year hiatus, the Jamesburg school district is planning to bring back some after-school athletic programs.
After being cut due to a shortfall in the budget, the district will introduce up to four after-school sports programs.
According to Superintendent Brian Betze, plans call for restoring boys and girls soccer and boys basketball. He added that the Board of Education is considering reinstating a fourth sport and he would like to have girls basketball at Grace M. Breckwedel (GMB) Middle School.
“All sports and all clubs were cut from the district six years ago,” said Betze.
“Since that time there would be no clubs or sports.”
Betze told the Jamesburg Borough Council on Aug. 19 that the reintroduction of the sports programs would help students stay motivated.
“Playing a sport gives a lot of students a reason to come to school and do well,” he said about the impact that athletics has on students.
Betze also said there would be an academic policy in place to ensure that students who participate in the sports maintain passing grades.
“It’s a carrot we put out there for the kids. It motivates them to do well in school and gives them a purpose to come to school.”
According to Betze, the programs would cost the district a total of $20,000.
The costs include stipends for coaches and assistant coaches, transportation to away games, equipment, uniforms and referee fees.
The district is able to restore the sports programs with funds saved by bringing back some students placed out-of-district. Betze estimated the district would save around $500,000 by having students who were being educated out-of-district, return to be educated in the district.
“We were able to bring back two classes of about 10 students, saving the district nearly $500,000,” Betze said when he presented an update on changes made in the district during his first year as superintendent at the council meeting.
Tryouts for the teams will be held mid-September, with games scheduled to begin at the end of the month.
The Jamesburg School district consists of the John F. Kennedy Elementary School and GMB Middle School. There is also a preschool in the district, Mozarts and Einsteins Preschool.