The Mattituck BOE voted down, by 4-3, a measure that would have allowed students to enter as individual competitors in the winter track season at the Riverhead School District.
Mattituck Athletic Director Greggory Wormuth said so far, seven girls and four boys have signed up for the winter track season as individual players. Busing those students to the Riverhead Central School District would cost $25 per day on buses already going to Riverhead for students that attend McGann Mercy; no transportation home would be provided. The cost for the entire season for the Mattituck school district would be approximately $7,000, Wormuth said.
But no more than seven students per team can participate; according to official rules, if there are more than seven interested in participating, the district has to form its own team, hire two coaches, and pay the entire fee.
Wormuth said he thought sending the students to other district would be a good pilot program, to determine whether or not the Mattituck district might possibly implement a winter track program for next year.
But Board of Education President Gerard Diffley expressed reservations because the entire school population was not invited to join the group. “I just think this opens a Pandora’s Box, if we pay for some kids to do this and not all. This is just a select few,” he said.
Wormuth said he did not seek out the students, they came to him and signed a sheet stating that they’d like to participate.
Board member Laura Jens-Smith said there were many other groups of students who might to pursue outside opportunities in swimming, theater, dance, music or other areas of interest but did not have a “champion”; Wormuth said his charge was to advocate for student athletes. She added that there was already a fitness club in place for students but High School Principal Shawn Petretti said that club had morphed from running into more of a full-body training. He agreed a pilot program could be a good idea.
Wormuth said one option might be to eliminate busing altogether, reducing the cost by about $1,000.
“It’s too much, too fast,” Diffley said, adding that if the idea had been introduced earlier perhaps he’d have been more onboard.
Board member Doug Cooper said running is a good sport and there’s a need for physical activity.
“There’s only so much money in the pot,” Jens-Smith said. “You can’t cherry pick mid-year.”
Board member Jeffrey Smith said he thought the program might be a good template to judge interest for next year.
The motion was voted down, but Superintendent Dr. Anne Smith said the discussion had been productive and one of the goals is to include students’ vision for new programs.
