Thursday, Oct. 17, 2002 | 11:25 a.m.
When Las Vegas Councilman Gary Reese made a motion to approve $100,000 from the city to save the Clark County School District's middle school athletics program, the crowd in the Council Chambers let out a groan suitable for a missed shot.
Supporters were seeking a donation of $250,000 to help save competitive basketball, cheerleading and dance squads for sixth to eighth graders this winter.
So Councilman Lawrence Weekly went to the line and asked Reese to boost the figure to $125,000 in hopes that the Clark County Commission would pony up another $125,000 in two weeks.
But it was Councilman Michael McDonald who made the game-winning 3-point shot by asking Reese to amend his motion to give the whole $250,000 -- one-third of funds previously set aside for work on high school ballfields -- toward the goal of raising $325,000 to save the sports program.
The motion passed 6-0 as members of the audience stood, applauded and hugged as if they had won the city championship. But the reality soon set in that the city donation, plus $55,000 raised through private donations, still leaves officials short $20,000 two weeks before a Nov. 1 deadline.
Supporters will take the remainder of their request to the County Commission on Oct. 29, then will fight to ensure the programs are permanently funded when the 2003 Legislature meets next year.
Middle school sports and transportation services for high schoolers were cut as part of a $12.6 million school district budget deficit last May. That created concerns that a cash-strapped school district might consider rerouting newfound money to other problem areas
"I assure you the money allocated today will go toward this fund," School District Athletic Director Larry McKay told the council. "It will not go into any other revenue stream."
Sheila Moulton, president of the School Board, thanked the city for what the council said was a one-time consideration. She vowed to work hard to get the money from the Legislature next year.
That too will be a challenge because the district is facing another budget shortfall of $2.7 million as a result of under-enrollment. There also is a hiring freeze for certain administrative positions, and officials are exploring ways to cut costs without cutting student activities.
Councilman Larry Brown, a former minor league baseball player who had worked on the plan for the city funding with Weekly, said the issue has "raised the community's awareness" of how important sports are to the well-rounded development of youth.
In the early 1980s budget cuts forced the district to eliminate all middle school athletics, including softball, flag football, track and field and tennis. Eventually funds were identified to restore basketball, cheerleading and dance squads, which today comprise the entire middle school sports program.
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