The future of middle-school and freshmen sports depends on the outcome of applications for educational grant money as well as whether the school budget is approved at Town Meeting, Superintendent Dr. Barry Rabinovitch said at the Wednesday, March 24 School Committee meeting.

Middle school and freshmen sports, totaling $25,000, have been cut from next year's school budget. It is part of a cut package totaling more than a million dollars as a result of increasing costs.

If town meeting approves the school budget and fundraising efforts are successful, however, Rabinovitch said he hoped that he could adjust the budget so that sports could be restored.

"Twenty-five-thousand dollars is something that, I think, in combination with the number of groups that are talking about fundraising, as well as us going back into our budget... and as long as we get the money that we have asked for at Town Meeting, we should be able to come back to this committee and ask for [sports] to be restored," Rabinovitch said.

If approved for grants, funds currently used elsewhere could be replaced with grant money, moved back into the regular budget, and put toward athletics, Rabinovitch said.

Wareham Public Schools Athletic Director Tina Clark presented a report on the state of this year's athletics budget which attracted many parents concerned about next year's proposed cuts of sports.

Clark's report indicated that athletics revenue is up about $10,000 from the same time last year while expenses are down $11,000. She is not yet sure, however, how much revenue will result from user-fees for spring sports. The increase in revenue is likely a result of this year's increase in user-fees, Clark said. User-fees were increased from $30 to $50 for middle-school sports and $60 to $100 for high-school sports.

Clark said she was able to save a few thousand dollars by reducing police from four to three details at football games and instead hiring staff members to help. She said she was also able to save money in transportation.

Clark also provided the expenses, revenues, and number of participants for each sport. Because the cost-per-student varies greatly from sport to sport, School Committee member Geoff Swett asked if the schools should reconsider which sports to offer.

"I don't care what sport someone chooses, I just want them to have a sport to choose," Swett said. "And anytime we're talking about eliminating opportunities, then my natural inclination says, 'if we've got finite resources, then we need to make the best possible use of those resources.'"

Clark said she felt that Wareham currently offers the right mix of sports to students.

Parents suggested increasing user fees for middle-school sports from $50 to $100 to help with the budget deficit as well as fundraising and requiring students to bring their own equipment and supplies.

"I think parents want to keep the middle school-level [sports] if they can, so they're willing to try to pay the money," said parent Ann Pearle. "I'm not saying that everyone can. I understand that. But if you give them the option to pay, they may."