For most students who enter high school, it is very likely that they will join at least one extracurricular group or athletics program. This is especially true at New Albany-Plain Local Schools, where 67 percent of the student population are athletes and almost every student is associated with a club or organization.
While part of these groups, clubs and athletic teams, students are gaining valuable lessons and relationships that they will carry with them throughout their lives. Extracurriculars also serve as an outlet for many stressors in life and provide an opportunity for young people to work on their mental and physical well-being.
Unfortunately, some students lost this opportunity in 2014.
New Albany-Plain Local Schools
new albany high school
Funding Takes a Hit
In November 2014, NAPLS had an 8.9-mill combination levy on the ballot. Voters were to decide whether to support the 6.9-mill operating levy and a 2.0-mill permanent improvement levy.
The levy failed to pass with 56% voting no. As a result, the district had to adjust its budget, affecting staff and several programs.
“We went to a very unheard of pay-to-participate requirement after the levy failure. It was $625 at the secondary level originally, and it was $425 for middle school,” NAPLS Superintendent Michael Sawyers says.
The new requirement became a barrier that prevented some students from being able to participate in the groups they were once in. The New Albany Community Foundation (NACF), in an effort to ensure students could still be part of the programs they loved, stepped in to cover the pay-to-play costs. Almost 10 years in, the foundation has awarded 528 scholarships and counting, totaling $152,982.50.
Foundation Impact
New Albany-Plain local schools
NAHS boys volleyball team
According to Sawyers, there is a robust process parents go through before receiving funds. After applying, parents provide specific documentation that verifies if they are qualified to receive financial support.
Most importantly, once a family receives scholarship support, their information remains anonymous so that no kid is singled out.
From Sawyers’ perspective, extracurricular activities are an extension of the classroom. A lot of the lessons learned in sports or clubs are applicable to the what they learn in school as well as in everyday life.
“(Students) learn how to be a friend. You learn how to communicate, you learn how to solve problems,” Sawyers says. “You know how to think critically, you’re operating as a team. You discover that team sports are not individual sports.”
New Albany-Plain local schools
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Helping Where Possible
NACF President Craig Mohre sympathizes with families with more than one child, especially if their children are involved in multiple activities. The fees can add up quickly, he says.
While the NACF administers the funds to families, Mohre says he can’t take credit for the program’s long-term success.
“I’m very proud of the community,” Mohre says. “Proud of the donors, proud of the school, that we find a way to make sure that all kids have the same opportunities, the same access. I think it reflects that we have a community of people who care.”
Mark Wilson has been a long-time donor to the program and was a part of the initial group advocating to raise funds for the after-school activities. Wilson was a leader in the campaign for the school levy, and when it failed, he saw the moment as an opportunity to move the community on a new path for supporting the schools.
“In my view, things came from people realizing that in some cases, when the community as a whole can’t support something, then different people will step up,” Wilson says.
Wilson hoped there would be parents who could afford to support their kids’ extracurriculars that would also be willing to help other families in need. He says the community’s generosity will leave a lasting impact on those who benefit from it.
Sawyers shares the same sentiments when reflecting on the parents and kids he knows that have benefited from the foundation’s generosity.
“They are grateful because they put themselves out there and said, ‘Listen, I’m going through some (difficult) times right now,’” Sawyers says.
Sawyers has been moved by some parents who have received support now giving back and donating to the foundation to help other families in need.
“That piece is cool too because they’ve realized, ‘You know what, when I needed this, you were able to help my kid (and now) my life is different, and I can help somebody else,’” Sawyers says.
Mike Maynard is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
