And so based on that, you know, the the interest and the growth of the sport both here and around the state, uh we are looking to um you know, recommend moving forward with a varsity level at each school and the potential to expand into um to more levels as we go through in coming years. Uh last year the IHSA had a roster limit of 25. So you could have 25 per um per level. So again, that's where we kind of are looking at our numbers currently. All right. And as Tony had mentioned, uh we did have club sports um this past fall for both O and OE. Uh they don't require a ton of equipment really. Uh for the most part, it's flag belts, basic uniforms, uh footballs, and other equipment to be used by the program. Uh I believe that both schools at this point uh have received um NFL grants from the Bears.
I know OHS had a $2,000 grant, I believe, that we were able to purchase some footballs, flag belts, things like that to get the program off the ground for this past fall. So, that's something we still have in place. You know, when we go through and talk about expenses of things, one of the things when we talk to vendors and things about uh potential the cost of things, they do mention flag belts because you do kind of get what you pay for and they they are going to be something that we probably do have to replace often because of the nature of the sport, right? So, it's things like that to take in consideration, but um there's not a lot of additional large equipment needed. Uh it would require, and this is where the cost comes in, stipen for the head coach, stipen for assistant coaches, additional uniforms, of course, we have officials, workers for home matches, and transportation for road matches.
As we look at the year-by-year breakdown, uh so if we are having a varsity program only at OE and O, uh it's just under $60,000. We include all of those fees uh and the cost associated with that. Uh I will say that the OS athletic boosters has has offered to put 7500 in. Always had similar communications uh or Tony's had similar communications with his boosters. It's also willing to do the same. So we're looking at to get things off the ground here of a $15,000 starter which does help out quite a bit. Uh so then that first year updated cost would be about just under4 $45,000. As you see there in year two, uh a similar cost. Uh there are some other expenses that go along with that. Of course, we won't need to purchase uniforms, things like that because those have been already purchased.
Um year three is where we potentially looking at depending on uh reviewing where our students are is adding that second lay or second uh level of of a JB. Um and then year four and year five for the estimated total cost of 420,000. And again, that in that's that's all including, right? It's transportation, coaching, stipens, uh officials fees, workers, everything. And as we follow this process along, you know, um as Tony and I kind of work through this, our recommendation is uh to add girls flag football for a varsity level for OE and O. Uh this would be, you know, how we did with with boys and girls lacrosse this year as a co-op. We wouldn't have that uh just because we have the interest at both schools. Uh so both schools would would be requesting a varsity sport and then of course a program re-evaluation uh in 2027 2028 for a JV level team.
And now we will ask or answer any questions you have. I have one question. Sure. Um looking at slide number five. So given the previous trans uh previous presentation in regards to some of the challenges that we have, I'm assuming I don't see transportation up there, although I hear it in the budget and the cost. Yep. But if we're adding to transportation, I'm just wondering the feasibility or just a being able to support it in especially given uh the comments that came from Cali and uh Hope. So, I I just I'm just wondering where does transportation fit and I'm sure scheduling, but yeah, how does how does that play out? Yeah, I think it's something we could probably more clearly identify in the future. Budget and resources as part of that, too. Uh some of the scheduling is associated with that, too. As Tony and I talked about transportation, the one positive thing here with girls flight football is you you will have a a weekday competition, but largely most of the competitions are jamaries on Saturdays.
Um so right now we we have a conference jamboree scheduled on a uh early September Saturday which all conference schools will participate in and from there you can play multiple games at a time. Um because the games are only are 25 minute half five minute halftime then 25 minutes second half they go quick. Um so that's where a lot of this this comes in. It does help us knowing the fact that transportation would be largely Saturday. There is some considerations during the weekday no doubt. Um and then with that too, you know, this past year, specifically at OHS, we largely had mini bus travel. Um so that was able something that our our our coaches were able to drive many buses and get kids to and from which was huge cost savings for us. There's no doubt. I have a couple questions for you. Um first of all, I want to thank um the community for coming out and speaking.
um happy to see this proposal uh before the board. Um so and it's good to always have community members here speaking um about their wishes and hopes for the future. Um what I have two questions. My first one is about accessibility to the to um girls flag football. I heard you say that um the roster can be 25, but our club numbers now are more than that. So to me that says that there'll be less people, less girls that will be able to participate in flag football next year. Uh I realize that might be a tradeoff, but am I correct in saying that? And yes, the the numbers would absolutely show that um two levels would be absolutely more appropriate to some degree, but uh we're also aware that um and I I believe you have some of the financial numbers in front of you as well too once we start adding a second level.
Um there is an opportunity for kids to still participate in a club format for like a JV level. Okay. Now saying that uh that's not free that's not free of cost though either because there'll be there'll be some cost associated with that. You would remove essentially some coaching stipens and some other things too. Uh but kids would still have the opportunity to play and grow those skills. Uh but there would be some cost occur to the district still because you would still need even for home meets uh or home contest you would still need officials. even need someone potentially to work the clock or something, right? Um and for if you're going any sort of away contest uh for that club team, transportation would have to be considered as well too, whether that be a yellow bus here, the district or a mini bus potentially how that looks.
So yes, um there this is a growing sport. There's no doubt. And I I think for us that you know we would be thrilled to have a varsity sport. Um but but also to your point, our numbers this year alone dictated probably two different teams. And as Tony had talked about and some of our great speakers here, you know, some of the numbers they gave were were similar to ours, but when our final roster numbers kind of were shaking out about who was there, you know, for us, I think we ended up having 44 kids that were like every day there. Um and Tony even had more than that at his at his place as well, too. So yeah, I think my only cons concern and if this is the proposal, this is what it is. 44 kids were there this year, but next year only 25 are gonna be able to be there to play.
And for for for me that's an equity issue, but I appreciate the proposal and the desire to make this a competitive sport. So, it's just something kind of I'm weighing. Um, and then I also wonder about the equitable measures between uh boys football, which is no cuts from my understanding. So as many boys that want to play football can play football and only 25 girls can play flag flag football for the whole school. Yeah. Um so I think that's a consideration. Um and I don't know what that would mean uh if there were if there were other options. Uh but I also wish that IHSA would get on board with some of those. I don't know if they were the decision maker on the 25 person roster. So they have the it's a 25 person sideline limit. Okay. Right. So, um Tony and I have discussed this.
I'm sorry. That includes coaches. Uh no, it's player. Okay. So, there is a potential you could increase your roster size, but when it came to game time, it was it could be a 25 individual sideline and that that's where it's capped, right? So, there is some flexibility with having kids, especially if we went to a club level kind of back and forth where where they would be in on that too. Obviously, we wanted to give kids experience. Um we'd love to have every kid who tried out have a spot. That would be the ideal scenario. Um, that is the scenario for boys football. It is indeed correct. Okay. Yes. We I have a question following um her question. I'm not going to lie to you. I've been a cheerleader for four years and I still don't know anything about football. So, please please bear with me.
Please, please bear with me. So, it's 25 girls on sideline capp. But for boys football, they let anyone in, but they only have a certain amount of players on the field. I'm just a little bit confused. Can you like explain to me like That is not our decision. Oh, that's not your decision. Correct. Okay. That is above us. Yeah. What's the cap? I don't know if they even have a cap. There is no cap. It's kind of ly everybody. Yeah. Yeah. If you can change the cap, if I could change this, listen, it would be capless. And we're I mean Yes. So, so I agree. Yeah. And I know that our district would like I know you all would support that. I just want to point that out and I just want the community to to think to understand next year there's going to be less girls that are going to be able to participate.
Yes. Um is there I'm I'm hearing though that there will also be a club level still available for girls who want to play and and and enhance their skills next year or Yeah, that's that's something we're considering because of the fact that we know uh how this We want to give kids an opportunity especially what we don't want to do is not only reduce the opportunities but reduce that growth so when they to get better in the future right because obviously you're talking try out periods and things like that we could we could absolutely have that conversation about club I I don't have that cost figure with me of a club versus a sec flat out second level yeah I don't have that comparison with me tonight um you know we could talk about some things too is having an ex for lack of a better term an expanded roster of your varsity and have some rotations um of I'm not going to say an A and a B, but like an opportunity for people to compete at that level.
Yeah. Um we can try to be as creative as possible. Obviously, it depends on, you know, what the board's appetite is with that, too, and some of the direction you guys give it here tonight, quite frankly. Yeah. Tony and I are happy to kind of run with any option you'd like to give us. was uh and maybe this is out of sequence for our process, but was there any given the limited roster is was there any consideration to giving given to um uplifting a JB and varsity at the same time? Yes. And the proposal is for I know but I mean she's asking if we can go 2526 for both. There's there's three there spreadsheet but for they they lay it out. Yeah. the cost she's asking instead of I'm saying is with this interest and if I'm speaking for you why are we I just have to say I sit in this seat over and over and hear justified reasons for why we spend money and we are talking about potentially less than $40,000 or there's got to be some sort of economies of scale if we add a JV team and we already have a varsity team and in the grand scheme of things this It seems like such a small amount of money and we're talking about equity about girls and it's it's just interesting and potentially frustrating um because and I appreciate the club idea but having an IHSA sanctioned sport opens up opportunities for scholarships for girls.
So, while I think the club is great, where is the equity when it comes to, you know, a JV team so that more girls are playing, not just on a team? So, part of what and I want to um I think these are these are all very important questions raised. What we learned from last year that it's important to start the process of ramping up when we roll out a uh a sport, right? And so I would say that part of the proposal is to enter it from a measured perspective that is sustainable. It's not to exclude or to say we won't get to growth. But as we did with the cross, it's important to to build right to long-term sustainability. Sometimes you got to go a little slower to go fast. And we hear we say that often, but that literally means sometimes that we make small efforts in these ways.
I think the questions that are being raised tonight, part of the reason that these came to the board in and for the community to speak was just to really understand again what are the various parameters, right? And so I would say that my recommendation in reviewing the proposal was to ensure that we were beginning on a strong footing that we could build from. Um I'm hearing very important points and so I just I would say that I take full responsibility reflecting on those to ensure that we can also not limit access for our students and right and so it's always a tension for me in terms of the systems capacity transportation is a very real issue so yes if you increase significant access you also have a a complimentary challenge so is it is it better to start on a scalable what we know especially with the known for the future in terms of the number of rides routes we're working on a hazardous route I mean there's so many factors right So for me, I don't want to I'm I'm not I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses.
I'm just trying to explain the context of why the decision was to go for a smaller footprint in this first step. Um and then to ramp up. Now the the feedback, right? Because I always like to win, right? So the feedback gives us an opportunity to think about, okay, how do we do both? What are the other options? What are the other ways we can think about it that necessary can be still uh within a a smaller footprint but at the same time ensure that we don't cut off the energy and the access. So So can I can we can we go to page 14 real quick? Um I'm sorry. Page 14. And and let me start off. I want to preface this question with I'm gonna be honest with you. We should have brought this years ago if I'm being honest. So, I'm excited about whatever we could do to expand this and I I hope to heck that we vote on this before I leave.
Um, I just it's I I just want to do this as a learning moment for the community, okay? I did some math and if we do $300, listen, I'm I'm not saying I like it either, right? I'm I have I have kids I have a son in the district that had had to pay these fees. $300 if I have 50 students, right? It's because I have two varsity squads. I'm I'm looking at $15,000 coming in for per for student fees, right? If I add JV, let's say I double that on top of it over 5 years, you're talking about 75. I doubled that. Uh or you 75 for the two teams and then double it. If you did JV, that's 150,000 in in fees coming in. I point this out because I hear this come up from the community so many times. Where did the money go?
Right? Where did the money go for these student fees? And so I just want to point out that $150,000 is less than $420,000. That is not to say that we should not do this cuz I'm a huge proponent and thought we should have done this like we should have been more at the forefront and done this a couple years ago. So I want to make that abundantly clear. I'm 100% in favor and like I said, I hope I get to vote on this. It would mean a lot for me. So, I hope it's coming back as a voting method. But Jared, if I can just add something to what you just Yeah. I just want to make sure we take the teachable moment. Sorry, I'm a teacher. 120,000. We don't get that. No, but what I was going to say is we don't get all those $300 fee.
That's the part that we don't talk about. Everybody says, "I pay my $300 for uh my fees. How come?" We don't get that. The percentage of the fees that we collect keeps going down. Last year at this time we were at 86% of the fees. This year we had about 72% of the fees for athletics. So the trend is going down. So by doing the calculation what we have to do then we have to multiply that amount by 70%. Which is realistically the revenue we're going to get from fees. So the 30% has to come from somewhere else. I just want to put that out and I just want to put it's five years. I did five years your argument stronger because the first two years is half. So it's 15 15 30 30 I'm trying to strengthen your argument, right? But the point is it's it's not covered.