School Board honors dad who helped save sports

Friday, Dec. 13, 2002 | 9:44 a.m.

Las Vegas resident Ted Boyack was honored Thursday by the Clark County School Board for his successful effort to save middle school athletics from the budget chopping block, but the inspiration for his crusade was absent.

Boyack's seventh grade daughter, Brittney, was at soccer practice.

"That's where she loves to be, challenging herself, playing the game. She's the reason I did this," said a visibly emotional Boyack, who spearheaded the grass-roots campaign. "If you could see for yourself how hard these kids work. Every child deserves the opportunity to have that kind of experience."

Clark County School District officials determined last May that $12.6 million in cuts were needed to balance the $1.2 billion annual budget. The middle school athletics program -- composed of basketball, cheerleading and dance teams -- was scheduled to be axed, at a savings of $350,000.

The decision outraged parents and community leaders, who said athletics were essential to keeping at-risk students interested in school, and helped children develop leadership and teamwork skills.

Boyack, whose daughter attends Fertitta Middle School in the district's southwest region, quickly joined other parents to protest the cuts.

The parents also founded the Save Our Sports committee, raising nearly $70,000 through bake sales, car washes and a golf tournament. But as the school district's Nov. 1 deadline for coming up with the funds loomed, the group was still far short of its goal. In October the Las Vegas City Council members voted unanimously to donate $250,000 that was earmarked for repairs to high school ball fields. The Henderson City Council followed up with its own donation of $50,000 a week later.

Marzette Lewis, a longtime School Board observer, said Thursday while she applauded the parents for their hard work, it was "shameful" that their efforts were needed.

"It's a disgrace that parents had to go plead and beg the community for that money," Lewis told the board during the public comment portion of Thursday's meeting. "I can't believe with a billion-dollar budget, you couldn't find that money somewhere else. District mismanagement took millions of dollars away from our children."

Because of the hard work of Boyack and others, middle school athletics will kick off the regular season Jan. 7, Larry McKay, the district's athletic director said.

"It's a great pleasure to make this announcement," McKay told the School Board Thursday. "The goal was met thanks to the tireless work of a lot of dedicated people, and we're very grateful."

Superintendent Carlos Garcia also praised the committee, noting that the district will continue to face similar challenges unless the state Legislature appropriates additional funds for educational programs. Parents and community leaders should view the middle school sports crisis as a wake-up call, Garcia said.

"When we don't all speak as one voice on behalf of our children, our children lose, and that's the bottom line," Garcia said. "We all need to remember that as we go into the next legislative session in February."