OTHELLO – Othello School District is considering a plan that may result in the elimination of several varsity assistant coaching positions at Othello High School.
During an April 28 meeting of the district’s board of directors, Superintendent Dr. Pete Perez said the district had audited sports programs across the Central Washington Athletic Conference (CWAC) to see how their staffing of coaches compares to Othello. They discovered that most CWAC schools do not have the same number of varsity assistant coaches as Othello.
A document shown during the meeting showed that a “right-sizing” plan for OHS athletics could trim assistant coaches for boys & girls basketball, boys & girls soccer, volleyball, dance, and cheer. Baseball and softball could reduce assistant coaches by half a position each. The result would be a financial savings of more than $33,000 annually.
According to OSD Superintendent Dr. Pete Perez, the district has not made any final decisions.
In October, OSD announced a plan to reduce costs across the district. They plan to close a $3 million budget deficit by cutting 25 teaching positions, two director-level positions, and closing the Desert Oasis High School campus.
