With the fall sports season underway, the Cumberland County School Board worried about the need for athletic trainers.
Director of Schools Rebecca Farley said last year’s trainer provider did not want to renew the contract after its expiration in May. Right now, the school system does not have any athletic trainers. Board Member Jon Matthews said the board needs to get athletic trainers soon.
“We are getting into the 90s next week, all week long,” Matthews said. “I mean, it’s gonna be 91, 92, 93 degrees all week long next week, and we are gonna need some type of coverage for these kids.”
Farley said she has found an option to receive two athletic trainers for an estimated $20,000. However, Farley said the previous provider did not charge for services.
“Obviously, going from no charge to a charge is going to be a change,” Farley said.
Farley said one issue is finding funds to pay for the trainers. The board provided suggestions of using the fund balance to cover the cost or splitting the cost with the schools
“Here’s the thing guys, that budget is really, really tight,” Farley said. “And that was another thing that I was going to ask you guys. Let’s just say we split it, I would still want direction from you all as to where you want me to take it from. Now, I can take it from the fund balance, or I can take the whole amount from the fund balance.”
Board Member Elizabeth Stull said neither the schools nor the school district was prepared this year to take on the cost for athletic trainers. Stone Memorial Athletic Director Nathan Brown said parents have reached out to him, offering to pay the cost for the athletic trainers.
“That’s how big of a need it is for us,” Brown said. “I don’t think that’s a good look for our county or our community, or our school. But I do have parents who are ready and willing to pay for it. We’ve got athletes who are at risk every day. We had a student two days ago who had to go to the emergency room because we couldn’t provide service, and we couldn’t diagnose what was wrong with him after practice.”
Farley said the new provider could provide better services and include new services like concussion testing. The board discussed potentially having a special-called meeting next week to approve a contract, but never officially settled on anything. The board will continue to review and aim to have some sort of trainer coverage until the board can approve a contract.
The board will have its monthly board meeting next Thursday.
