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Yesterday, 12:18 AM
What's going on in Berea? Coach was among budget cuts or did they cut football?
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Yesterday, 08:15 AM
I’ve been surprised every year for the last 20 years that it hasn’t been shut down. Not sure if they have ever been competitive. Not sure as to why. But it’s been tough for them.
Yesterday, 01:07 PM
No, the article says the coach was non-renewed as a teacher due to budget cuts. In the article, he said he would hopefully remain the HFC. Berea has a 1.5M budget deficit, and he was probably non-tenured. The Athletic Director was pretty promising in the article that everything will be okay.
Yesterday, 07:55 PM
(Yesterday, 01:07 PM)Real Badman Wrote: No, the article says the coach was non-renewed as a teacher due to budget cuts. In the article, he said he would hopefully remain the HFC. Berea has a 1.5M budget deficit, and he was probably non-tenured. The Athletic Director was pretty promising in the article that everything will be okay.
So it let you read the article? It wouldn't let anyone else without paying for it.
Yesterday, 11:08 PM
On Monday morning, Jon Thomas was on hall duty at Berea Community when he was approached by the school's principal.
"He told me I had to go meet with the (school) board," Thomas said. "I didn't know what was going to happen."
The middle school social studies teacher — and high school varsity football coach — made the short trip across the parking lot to the Berea Independent Board of Education building.
When he got there, Thomas was informed his contract would not be renewed for next school year.
"I walked across the parking lot to get my pink slip," Thomas said.
That exact same scenario played out over and over again on Monday.
"Thirty-five of us had to walk the plank," said Thomas, who has been the head coach of the Berea Community Pirates for the past two seasons.
In the midst of a severe budget crisis, the independent school cut more three dozen positions. The staff was informed of the decision on Monday during school and officials announced the reductions to the public a few hours later at a board meeting.
Eight district positions were eliminated, while the staff of the elementary school was reduced by 10 positions, the middle school by 5.5, and the high school by 8.5 staff slots. The preschool was reduced to one class, down from three. Special education staff was also cut.
Superintendent Diane Hatchett said the changes will save the district — which is facing a $1.3 million budget shortfall — more than $1 million.
"We've gone through stuff like this before — maybe not to this extent," said Berea Community Athletic Director Jerry Bingham, who has been at the school for 28 years. "But, we will make it through. It will be tough next year."
The cuts were especially tough for Thomas.
His wife, sister, mother and father all graduated from Berea Community and he also attended the school.
He has been on the football coaching staff at Berea Community (at the high school and middle school level) for the past five seasons.
"It's heartbreaking. I love this place," Thomas said. "I want to see this school succeed."
The cuts will certainly have a big impact on the small, independent school's athletic programs.
Bingham says he was told to slash $5,000 from the athletic and uniform budgets. The AD will also have to eliminate coaching positions.
"Some of our major sports had four assistants," Bingham said. "So, we will cut those back for the time being."
One assistant girls basketball coach has already announced his resignation.
Middle school and high school teams in some sports — like swimming, track and field and cross country — are set to be combined under just one head coach.
An increased emphasis is also being placed on trying to reduce the cost of travel.
"We are supposed to stay within a 75 miles radius right now, anyway. So, we were asked to work our schedules to stay within that distance," Bingham said. "With football, you really can't do that at times. The rest of the sports are going to have to work through that."
Travel expenses are part of the school's transportation budget — not the athletic budget — and with the district facing a shortage of bus drivers, trips are becoming more and more costly.
"A lot of times, we have to pay drivers overtime," Bingham said.
The staff reductions will — of course — have a significant impact in the classroom as well.
If no further adjustments are made, Berea Community will have only one social studies teacher (and just one science teacher) at the middle school level next year.
Thomas says he currently has more than 120 students in his classes.
"It's going to add to the workload," he said.
Thomas may not return to the school as a teacher, but he is still Berea Community's head football coach.
And he hopes to continue in that role.
"I'll be meeting with the players to keep them updated," Thomas said. "I'm not going to make any decision yet. I want to see who thinks work out here. If I can get another (teaching) job which would allow me to keep coaching at Berea, I will definitely do it. It just all depends."
Bingham hopes Thomas continues to lead the school's football program.
"He is invested in the school. He is invested in the football program," the Berea AD said of Thomas. "This is his first head coaching job and he does not want to give it up. But, you never know what will happen."
And right now, nothing is certain.
On Tuesday afternoon, Thomas was back in the weight room after school with his players.
"Some are pissed off. Some are sad. Some are nervous," Thomas said. "They don't know what it going to happen to the program. They are worried."
"He told me I had to go meet with the (school) board," Thomas said. "I didn't know what was going to happen."
The middle school social studies teacher — and high school varsity football coach — made the short trip across the parking lot to the Berea Independent Board of Education building.
When he got there, Thomas was informed his contract would not be renewed for next school year.
"I walked across the parking lot to get my pink slip," Thomas said.
That exact same scenario played out over and over again on Monday.
"Thirty-five of us had to walk the plank," said Thomas, who has been the head coach of the Berea Community Pirates for the past two seasons.
In the midst of a severe budget crisis, the independent school cut more three dozen positions. The staff was informed of the decision on Monday during school and officials announced the reductions to the public a few hours later at a board meeting.
Eight district positions were eliminated, while the staff of the elementary school was reduced by 10 positions, the middle school by 5.5, and the high school by 8.5 staff slots. The preschool was reduced to one class, down from three. Special education staff was also cut.
Superintendent Diane Hatchett said the changes will save the district — which is facing a $1.3 million budget shortfall — more than $1 million.
"We've gone through stuff like this before — maybe not to this extent," said Berea Community Athletic Director Jerry Bingham, who has been at the school for 28 years. "But, we will make it through. It will be tough next year."
The cuts were especially tough for Thomas.
His wife, sister, mother and father all graduated from Berea Community and he also attended the school.
He has been on the football coaching staff at Berea Community (at the high school and middle school level) for the past five seasons.
"It's heartbreaking. I love this place," Thomas said. "I want to see this school succeed."
The cuts will certainly have a big impact on the small, independent school's athletic programs.
Bingham says he was told to slash $5,000 from the athletic and uniform budgets. The AD will also have to eliminate coaching positions.
"Some of our major sports had four assistants," Bingham said. "So, we will cut those back for the time being."
One assistant girls basketball coach has already announced his resignation.
Middle school and high school teams in some sports — like swimming, track and field and cross country — are set to be combined under just one head coach.
An increased emphasis is also being placed on trying to reduce the cost of travel.
"We are supposed to stay within a 75 miles radius right now, anyway. So, we were asked to work our schedules to stay within that distance," Bingham said. "With football, you really can't do that at times. The rest of the sports are going to have to work through that."
Travel expenses are part of the school's transportation budget — not the athletic budget — and with the district facing a shortage of bus drivers, trips are becoming more and more costly.
"A lot of times, we have to pay drivers overtime," Bingham said.
The staff reductions will — of course — have a significant impact in the classroom as well.
If no further adjustments are made, Berea Community will have only one social studies teacher (and just one science teacher) at the middle school level next year.
Thomas says he currently has more than 120 students in his classes.
"It's going to add to the workload," he said.
Thomas may not return to the school as a teacher, but he is still Berea Community's head football coach.
And he hopes to continue in that role.
"I'll be meeting with the players to keep them updated," Thomas said. "I'm not going to make any decision yet. I want to see who thinks work out here. If I can get another (teaching) job which would allow me to keep coaching at Berea, I will definitely do it. It just all depends."
Bingham hopes Thomas continues to lead the school's football program.
"He is invested in the school. He is invested in the football program," the Berea AD said of Thomas. "This is his first head coaching job and he does not want to give it up. But, you never know what will happen."
And right now, nothing is certain.
On Tuesday afternoon, Thomas was back in the weight room after school with his players.
"Some are pissed off. Some are sad. Some are nervous," Thomas said. "They don't know what it going to happen to the program. They are worried."
5 hours ago
Not sure what kind of contract Berea ISD has implemented, but unfortunately when it comes to Coach Thomas, if he was not tenured this is how it often goes.
The protest should be demanding the resignation of the superintendent. On LEX18 last night they reported many of her first class plane tickets to conferences and other questionable expenses, that I'm sure wasn't planned in that 1M+ budget crisis.
The protest should be demanding the resignation of the superintendent. On LEX18 last night they reported many of her first class plane tickets to conferences and other questionable expenses, that I'm sure wasn't planned in that 1M+ budget crisis.
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