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House Bill Would Limit UIL Athletic Programs


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This new bill, HB 3709, was filed on March 11 for consideration by state rep Scott Hochberg, District 137 Houston, and if passes, could limit UIL extracurricular activities. He is also the Vice-President of the Public Education Committee. It was referred to the Public Education Committee on March 23. By: Hochberg H.B. No. 3709

 

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

relating to reducing costs in public school extracurricular activities.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 

SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 33, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 33.090 to read as follows:

 

Sec. 33.090. COST REDUCTIONS IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. (a) The University Interscholastic League shall establish rules and policies to achieve annual savings of at least 20 percent in costs expended by school districts for University Interscholastic League athletic programs. The University Interscholastic League shall implement these rules and policies no later than the start of the 2012-2013 school year and shall continue the rules and policies throughout at least the 2016-2017 school year. The rules and policies proposed under this section shall be approved by the commissioner prior to implementation by the University Interscholastic League.

 

(b) In approving the rules and policies proposed by the University Interscholastic League under this section, the commissioner shall ensure that the proposed rules and policies will achieve the annual cost savings under Subsection (a) and will distribute cost savings proportionally under Subsection (d).

 

© To achieve the annual savings required in Subsection (a), University Interscholastic League may consider the following cost saving measures including, but not limited to:

 

(1) setting limits on the number of coaches and support staff for one or more sports;

 

(2) requiring all coaches who are full-time employees of the school district to teach a minimum of one course each semester from the required curriculum under Section 28.002;

 

(3) reducing the number of games played per season;

 

(4) reducing the number of tournaments played per season;

 

(5) limiting the number of games and tournaments on weekdays;

 

(6) requiring varsity and sub-varsity participants to travel together where schedules permit to reduce school district travel costs;

 

(7) reducing the size of officiating crews;

 

(8) requiring coaches to coach more than one sport;

 

(9) allowing coaches to be employed by the school district on a part-time or voluntary basis; or

 

(10) any other cost saving measure approved by the commissioner.

 

(d) To the extent practicable, the rules and policies implemented under this section shall distribute cost savings proportionally to the cost of each sport.

 

(e) The rules and policies implemented under this section shall not be changed before 2016-2017 unless replaced with similar cost saving measures approved by the commissioner.

 

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.

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I still want to see any ruling , legislation, idea, lame brain idea, etc. that creates anything unfavorable to Highland Park. When that happens you will be able to use the word change and UIL in the same sentence.

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This bill is not good. It asks the UIL to enforce what it is the perogative of the the local school district. Local school districts must be able to determine for themselves how many coaches are used in a sport, how many classes a coach will teach in the classroom and how many sports a coach will coach. The worst part of this bill is the provision that would allow for part time coaches. The bill will do little to solve the budget crisis we all face. Athletic budgets only make up from 2-3% of the total budget in most school districts. Contact your representative!

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This is one of the more asinine things I have read - the cuts aren't clearly defined....What an imbecile....

 

 

They're certainly not definded under item #10 that says any other cost saving measure approved by the commissioner.

That seems to suggest subject to interpretation by the UIL commissioner.

 

 

 

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The bill is pointless. The UIL has no control over local district policies, so the UIL cannont possibly police how many coaches are hired by a district and how many sports they coach. This goes to show you the general lack of knowledge this guy has.

 

The only thing the UIL can really do is limit the number of games and/or tournaments that teams are allowed to play throughout the season.

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The thing that bothers me is that they go directly at sports to try and make cuts. There are a lot of other ways to make cuts and a lot of other activities that spend money, it isn't all sports. Cutting these would be detrimental to the schools and communities.

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The thing that bothers me is that they go directly at sports to try and make cuts. There are a lot of other ways to make cuts and a lot of other activities that spend money, it isn't all sports. Cutting these would be detrimental to the schools and communities.

 

To say they are picking on athletics is irresponsible. They are going to hammer Pre-K, class size reduction, Reading and Math Success Initiative grants, administrators, Optional Extended Year Programs, Technology Allotments, High School Allotments, Small School Funding adjustments and transportation alot worse than athletics.

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Sorry to say this but some people on here have no clue. We have teachers and others that MAY not have a job after the end of the year. Teachers are being cut and along with everything else. Why not that athl. be cut. We waste money new uniforms each year, Var and sub varsity riding on different buses when they are going and coming from the same school. Playing sports is a privilege that we as fans have turned into a god in Texas. Now if you they were talking about cutting girls sports very few people would say anything. I love sports, played sports, kids play sports, support sports, but I do not see it the way most of you do. I will call my rep and tell them I SUPPORT the BILL 100%. Sorry if you get mad and not like it.

 

Go Big Blue

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Sorry to say this but some people on here have no clue. We have teachers and others that MAY not have a job after the end of the year. Teachers are being cut and along with everything else. Why not that athl. be cut. We waste money new uniforms each year, Var and sub varsity riding on different buses when they are going and coming from the same school. Playing sports is a privilege that we as fans have turned into a god in Texas. Now if you they were talking about cutting girls sports very few people would say anything. I love sports, played sports, kids play sports, support sports, but I do not see it the way most of you do. I will call my rep and tell them I SUPPORT the BILL 100%. Sorry if you get mad and not like it.

 

Go Big Blue

 

You should first call your rep and tell him to look at fixing the school funding formula. When they changed the formula in 2006, we are still operating on less revenue than in 2006 which is the reason for the funding shortfall. They knew that this would happen when they did it. Does your household run on less than it did in 2006? Did your household grow by over 200,000 students? Have the cost of running your household gone up?

 

Don't punish the kids for their mistakes. Change the funding formula at least to what it was before and resolve the funding issue. FYI - most districts do not buy new uniforms each year. Get informed before make ignorant statements.

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The Tea Party provided the enthusiasm/turnout to give the one party that runs the government in this state its biggest majorities ever. No amount of whining is going to change that fact.

 

As you know, the next election is November of next year. Until then, all "gubmint" workers will be under assault from the "taxed enough already" crowd. Elections have consequences.

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I say cut all sports kids go to school to learn.

 

 

So you would rather have kids be fat? I would want kids to be healthy and doing what they love to do play sports, using their talents. If you cut sports, music, then that is bye bye UIL. Kids can still learn.

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So you would rather have kids be fat? I would want kids to be healthy and doing what they love to do play sports, using their talents. If you cut sports, music, then that is bye bye UIL. Kids can still learn.

 

Man I said I was joking and if they cut sports I would be in Austin picketing. I love me some sports espacially football if they quit letting kids play I would move to another state or at least drive to Oklahoma and watch football since I live 25 minutes from the Red River.

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You should first call your rep and tell him to look at fixing the school funding formula. When they changed the formula in 2006, we are still operating on less revenue than in 2006 which is the reason for the funding shortfall. They knew that this would happen when they did it. Does your household run on less than it did in 2006? Did your household grow by over 200,000 students? Have the cost of running your household gone up?

 

Don't punish the kids for their mistakes. Change the funding formula at least to what it was before and resolve the funding issue. FYI - most districts do not buy new uniforms each year. Get informed before make ignorant statements.

 

 

I have the facts...all schools do not get new uniforms I know, but know for a fact that many do...I know that the state needs to fix alot of things but one thing is for sure is that funding formula will not be fixed...the other kids are being hurt, make things fair is what I am saying...I am not an uninformed person, worked for many years in the school business and as a fact still do! SOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Go Big Blue

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I have the facts...all schools do not get new uniforms I know, but know for a fact that many do...I know that the state needs to fix alot of things but one thing is for sure is that funding formula will not be fixed...the other kids are being hurt, make things fair is what I am saying...I am not an uninformed person, worked for many years in the school business and as a fact still do! SOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Go Big Blue

 

 

Why does the government need to tell the school district how to spend their money? We elect a school board to make those decisions for our district. If our school decides our kids need new uniforms, then they can authorize that expense. If the school decides that the athletic budget needs to be cut in order to keep more teachers employed, then so be it. I don't need some jerk who visits my town twice a year to tell my district how to spend our dollars. They already make us give it away to other districts, stop telling me how to spend it.

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