Linn R-2 board members at last Tuesday’s meeting approved the creation of a football program by a 6-1 vote, with Board President Dennis Gravedoni the lone naysayer.
Following an update by Legends Bank Board Chairman John A. Klebba, Gravedoni suggested the issue be tabled until next month, with a committee appointed to further study the financial impact to the district.
However, board member Dr. Shawn Strong immediately put forth a motion to approve the program based on a timeline provided by Klebba.
“Usually, motions aren’t made from community input,” said Gravedoni.
“They can be made by board members,” Dr. Strong countered.
Board secretary Hannah Swann seconded the motion, and several patrons in attendance said their name could be used to denote community input.
“You guys have been stewing on these numbers for a year,” one patron said.
“The numbers have changed since last year,” Gravedoni said.
FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
Klebba said when the issue was discussed the last time he spoke to the board in 2019, there was a commitment to raise $50,000 to get the program started.
Since that time, the committee has received a major commitment from a donor.
Dr. Shawn Strong, who is president of State Technical College, explained that since this is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the college, it is appropriate that the school make a sponsorship-level gift of $60,000 to the school for the purpose of starting a football program.
“Thurman Willet had the idea years ago and from everything I’ve been told it was super controversial back then, but I think everyone would say it turned out for the best,” said Dr. Strong of the founding of the college. “I know there are folks that say we need to pay teachers first and I’ve looked at it, and I’ve seen where we are in terms of our competition. It’s a pretty steep gap but how do you pay teachers more? The way you do that is increase the value of property or you increase property taxes and nobody wants to see property taxes go up.”
Dr. Strong added that he believes apartment buildings will continue to be constructed to accommodate continued growth at the college, along with subdivisions and single-family housing.
“We can attract young families to the district,” he said. “How do you do that? You have a strong school district and activities in that school district. Young families are going to look for whether a school district has football. If you don’t, they may go to Blair Oaks or some of our competition, so the vision for it is well beyond football. This is about growing the community and attracting employees to State Tech. One of my biggest challenges is recruiting folks from across the country to Linn because of limited housing. What’s going to make them want to come to Linn? I hope I can look back on this and say I was part of the school board when we approved football.”
Klebba said the gift puts the committee well over $50,000 and he believes he can raise at least another $20,000, if not more, for the project.
He noted that Russellville began its football program with a fundraising goal of $30,000.
Klebba added that he believes the funding already secured by the committee would be more than ample to get the program off the ground in terms of field and player equipment for junior high and varsity programs.
Board member Tye DeCramer asked about the costs for which the district will be responsible to get the program started in September of 2022 as outlined by Klebba.
“How much does the district have to come up to help get this started,” DeCramer asked.
“There shouldn’t be any money,” said Klebba of upfront obligations. “We should be able to get this started. You will have coaching salaries and transportation but there aren’t that many away games.”
Transportation costs can be estimated from actual costs now being incurred for other sports, with three to four away JH games per year, four to five varsity away games, and three to four JV away games if the team has a sufficient number of players to play both a varsity and a JV schedule.
Klebba added there are a couple of unknowns.
Lights appear to be sufficient for now but Klebba said they will need to be supplemented.
“It’s passable but it’s not ideal,” he added. “At some point, there will need to be an upgrade of the lights. The good news is that the field already has in place both light poles with one set of lights and at least one set of empty crossbars on each pole for another set of lights.”
The cost of upgrading the lights is unknown but lease/purchase financing would be available.
LEVEL OF INTEREST
“My concern is, do we have the junior high kids that want to play football?” DeCramer asked. “How many kids will we have to have to play? I know we had to recruit junior high basketball players last year, and we’ve had to recruit for other sports just to get enough to field a team.”
DeCramer noted that a few years ago, there wasn’t enough interest to bring soccer back. He asked if junior high students had been polled to determine the level of interest. “I don’t want to spend all this money to get a program started and then it dies out in a year because we don’t have the kids to play,” he said.
“You’re going to know if you have enough kids real early, especially if you go to the parochial schools,” said Klebba. “You’re going to have a number of kids who don’t go to school here that are going to want to co-op into the program.”
Klebba added that Russellville ended its first year (which was junior high only) with 27 players in uniform, up three from when the season started. This past year they sometimes struggled with numbers in the varsity program because of injuries, very few seniors, and COVID. The Russellville superintendent noted that, in retrospect, it may have been better for them to have played two years of junior varsity instead of one before beginning a varsity schedule, Klebba added.
He suggested that at the junior high level there be an outreach to the parochial schools to see if they want to co-op with Linn, noting that having students from those schools would not change the school’s classification. “Having that opportunity would also allow the school to incorporate those kids in a lot earlier,” Klebba added.
Schools wishing to co-op with Linn for football would have to register with Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), and both schools would sign an agreement.
“I’ve always thought if you have 10 kids per class that want to play, and you’re going to have bigger classes when you start and smaller classes along the way,” said Klebba, adding that would make a viable program. “You’re going to have some kids opt-out but you’re also going to have kids opt-in. When you get to the high school level, you need about 10 kids per class to have a successful program.”
Judging by how well Russellville did without the benefit of parochial schools, Klebba said he doesn’t believe Linn will have a problem.
Youth football coach Mitch Swann said there are 15 local kids who want to play and are willing to travel to other towns.
Two elementary-level football teams that played in Jefferson City last year had about 10 local kids participating. He added that students at St. George, when they are deciding where to attend high school, will have a choice that could be determined by the program.
“Is Linn going to have stuff for them?” Swann asked. “I know a couple of classes ago, most of the kids went to Jefferson City because Linn didn’t have what they wanted.”
“I would respectfully ask that before you shove this down our throats as a community you go back and ask the parents, who have to take the kids and have to buy the extras, and have all the extra running-around time for kids, what their children are interested in,” said patron Hope Gerdis. “Don’t just make a motion and push it down our throats. Ask your community.”
Gerdis said on Saturday’s during the youth soccer season, there are hundreds of people at Maguire Park.
“Before you shove it down our throats, at least ask your parents,” Gerdis reiterated.
“I think we did that,” DeCramer said.
It was suggested that a simple survey be used to ask parents if they would support soccer or football and whether they would spend the time taking them to practices and games, along with their level of interest. Another question would be whether parents would leave the district if football was not offered.
“Just simple questions,” said Gerdis.
Klebba noted that during his talks with Russellville Superintendent Perry Gorrell, he learned the school did not survey parents. “He just knew he had enough interest and he did,” said Klebba, adding the school’s enrollment increased by 50 students in the first year of the program.
Klebba said that even if the total costs are underestimated, the offset is the potential growth the district will see with new families.
“If one family with three kids moves into the district for football, you’ve now broken even,” said Klebba, given that the state provides about $8,000 in funding for each enrolled student. “Alternatively, if a family with three kids doesn’t move out of the district because you have football, and we have seen that with families moving to Blair Oaks, then again the program pays for itself. I think there’s a telling argument that this thing would pay for itself over time.”
While DeCramer wrestled with the idea of a long-term commitment for a program that will have to prove itself, it was noted that with the State Tech donation and other fundraising dollars, even if the program fails after its first year, the district wouldn’t be out any money.
“And I’ll have egg on my face,” Dr. Strong added.
REVENUES
“For Linn, the timing couldn’t be better to add football,” said Klebba. “I know one of the big questions the last time we presented this was how can we afford it? We have had good growth in revenues at the school district because of all the new construction but we didn’t know how long that would continue.”
Klebba noted there have now been three consecutive years in which revenue from property taxes has increased by about $100,000 per year. Last year, it was roughly $92,000. Last year’s construction that has been completed in 2020 will go on the tax rolls for the first time this year, he added.
“Just judging from the amount of new construction that we have, I would anticipate we’d have another two years with a $100,000 increase each year,” said Klebba. “What that means is that as a school district, property tax revenues will be $500,000 per year more than it was five years ago.”
As State Tech continues to grow, Klebba said private investments will also continue to increase. “I don’t think there’s a rural school like ours that has seen that kind of increase,” he said. “In my opinion, from a financial standpoint, this is a great time to add football because I think we can afford it. I think it adds a lot to the community, it adds a lot to the kids’ experience here, and it adds a lot to the school district in terms of what you can participate in on Friday nights during the fall.”
UPFRONT COSTS
A total of 60 uniforms would be purchased, 10 for each class in grades 7-12.
Klebba noted that insurance costs will not increase because of football if the school already has signed up for MSHSAA’s blanket policy for catastrophic losses. Otherwise, it is $2,500 per year.
In terms of the field, Klebba said it’s in pretty good shape and he doesn’t believe there are slope or drainage issues, noting he went out after two days of heavy rain. “I walked the entire field and didn’t hit a puddle,” he said, adding a portable irrigation gun would need to be purchased at an estimated price of $3,000. “One of the biggest impediments to starting a football program is the field and we already have one that I believe is in great shape.”
One of the biggest elements would be the construction of grandstands and a press box. Klebba said the school would need to help with that because he doesn’t believe fundraising would cover it.
Lease/purchase financing is available for these types of expenditures. Russellville spent about $95,000 on theirs with volunteer labor utilized for the construction of the press box.
Bleachers would also benefit the track program and would allow the facility to be used for other school purposes. Portable bleachers that are utilized at the fair will work for the short term.
Bathrooms (both at the Lions Park near the baseball field and at the track) and the concession stand are already in place.
“We will need some portable fencing (similar to what is used for the softball outfield fence) to use near the entrance to the track so that paid spectators can freely access the bathroom/concession building,” Klebba noted.
The field needs goal posts, with the plan being to ask a State Tech class to fabricate them.
The long jump and pole vault areas will need to be moved as well as the poles that are currently on the infield.
Klebba said the proposal would be to construct three 150-foot long runways immediately west of the track, which would allow the school to host district meets. The cost of the runways is about $4,700 for the concrete base, with the rubber overlay to be installed when the track is resurfaced.
There is currently a scoreboard that needs to be moved but is sufficient for the short term. Klebba said Legends Bank has committed to purchase a new scoreboard specifically for football.
Klebba estimated the cost for the initial field equipment from Riddell to be $13,500, while the initial cost for 30 sets of player equipment would be $16,100 ($536 per player) for everything except shoes.
With the first JH game to start in the fall of 2022, Klebba said that allows about a year and a half to prepare.
ONGOING COSTS
The biggest ongoing costs are for coaches and transportation.
Two paid coaches are needed at the JH level, and three more at the varsity level.
“Our estimate for salaries is $7,500 to $10,000 per year when the program is fully implemented,” said Klebba.
“It takes a while to build a program because there’s no tradition here of football, so you’re going to have some kids that will be really excited,” Klebba added.
Russellville’s first junior high home game attracted a crowd of more than 1,500 people, Klebba said. “There was a lot of excitement at the start of the season,” he added. “It is a different atmosphere, and it does benefit you as a community and as a school district. There will be a lot of media coverage that you’ve never had before. Football Friday Night is a big thing. I think as a school district you’re at another level if you have football. It’s the number-one spectator sport in the country.”
According to the Riddell representative, schools are not dropping football programs. “He said most new programs are new schools,” said Klebba. “So once established, it tends to sustain itself.”
Klebba said the annual ongoing costs for the program will vary until it’s fully established. Russellville’s estimate of the total annual cost of coaches is $7,500. Once the program is fully implemented, the total annual cost of Linn’s program will be about $12,000 to $15,000 based on Russellville’s estimate.
Uniform expenses will also recur as helmets need to be reconditioned annually and replaced when they have been in use for 10 years.
TIMELINE
May 2021: Obtain school board approval
June 2021: Finalize a core fundraising committee
August 2021: Finalize fundraising documents
September 2021: Begin fundraising, begin field prep (remove poles in infield, move long jump and pole vault areas)
Feb. 2022: Apply to Schwartz Foundation for a grant
March 2022: Complete fundraising and begin hiring process for coaches
April 2022: Install goalposts, purchase field equipment and 30 sets of player equipment, schedule permitted summer practices, and finalize 2022 football schedule
August 2022: Begin fall practice
September 2022: First junior high game (7th – 9th grades)
March 2023: Begin hiring process for additional coaches, and purchase 15 additional sets of equipment
September 2023: First JV game (9th – 11th grades)
March 2024: Begin hiring process for additional coaches, and purchase 15 additional sets of equipment
September 2024 or 2025: First varsity game (9th – 12th grades)
FINAL THOUGHTS
While football is not the be-all, end-all to determine the success of a school district, Klebba said it is one important extra-curricular activity that can be offered. “There is no other sport, at least for young men, that has heavier participation than football because you have kids who will play football that won’t play any other sport. There may not be a place for them in basketball or track but there is a place for them in football. I was also told that when football began in Russellville, disciplinary problems decreased because they knew if they didn’t keep their nose clean, they weren’t going to be able to participate. It was a motivating factor that wasn’t duplicated by anything else.”
Football also draws students for related activities such as cheerleading, dance teams, and marching bands, with the Harrisburg school district noting that adding football had the added benefit of increasing participation in the band
“There are some subjective and objective benefits,” said Klebba.
While not officially part of the vote, it was understood that the board will reevaluate the program after the first year of play.
In the meantime, Klebba will work with a liaison from Linn R-2 and provide regular updates to the board regarding fundraising and costs as the program develops.
“Thank you very much for your support,” said Klebba. “I think this will be a great thing for the school and the community.”