Sports performance coach position coming to PHS

By John McLoone
Posted 5/25/23

PRESCOTT – The Prescott School Board is on board with a plan to hire a head coach of sports performance who would start in August.

The position won’t affect the district budget and …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Sports performance coach position coming to PHS

Posted

PRESCOTT – The Prescott School Board is on board with a plan to hire a head coach of sports performance who would start in August.

The position won’t affect the district budget and will be paid for with funds allocated for athletics and through team fundraising, Athletics and Activities Director Andrew Caudill told the school board at its Wednesday, May 17 meeting.

“It’s not taking away from any teachers or materials,” Superintendent Dr. Rick Spicuzza said. “It’s really reconstituting a position.”

The district will seek to hire someone with national accreditation for strength and conditioning who has at least one year of experience as a strength and conditioning coach in a high school or college. The position pay is estimated at $8,200 but that could jump to $14,000-$15,000 if the person could work during the summer, when the weight training program can be wrapped into summer school programming. During the school year, the new coach would work before and after school.

Caudill likened the position to being a head coach of sports performance.

“It would take weight from our current coaches. They would manage the weight room, manage the equipment, make sure everything is up to date,” Caudill said.

That responsibility largely falls upon football coach Jordan Hansen now.

Caudill said the new person would implement strength and conditioning programs for student athletes in-season and out-of-season and would work in the future to plan and implement a nutrition program for athletes.

He said that it would be a long-term benefit to Prescott athletes.

Caudill said many schools contract with a company for similar services at a cost of more than $20,000 for the school year.

“I think this would be better,” he said. “This is something that we want to do that is fair and would not cost nearly that much.”

Caudill’s plan is to have the new coach on board when fall sports kick into gear in August. This year’s summer school training will be overseen by Hansen.

“Summer’s already set. Coach Hansen has summer ready to rock and roll,” said Caudill.

School board student representative Rian Engeldinger said athletes would benefit from the new position.

“As a student athlete, I think this would be a really helpful position,” she said.

Licensed staff salaries

By a 4-1 vote, the school board voted to approve a new salary schedule for teachers and other licensed staff. New school board member Helen Stoeckel cast the lone dissenting vote.

Last month, the board gave the go-ahead for administration to put together the new plan with a 4% increase across the board in an effort to help recruit staff and keep Prescott teachers from looking elsewhere. With benefits, Spicuzza said last month, the increase is 5.4%.

The district is hoping for an increase in state aid to help pay for the increase.

“We really believe it’s important to signal to our staff our appreciation for what they are doing,” said Spicuzza.

Contracts for next year were distributed to staff during Teacher Appreciation Week the second week of May, and Spicuzza said as of the meeting date, 30% of teachers had already signed and returned them.

“Have we gotten any feedback? Are we on the right track?” asked board member Vicki Rudolph.

“They’re appreciative,” Spicuzza answered. “You’re not going to make everybody 100% happy, but I think the 4% was appreciated.”

The average pay increase is $2,200. The average starting pay at the 39 area schools in CESA 11 is $41,400. Prescott’s new starting pay will be $42,800.

At the other end of the scale, the maximum pay is $74,900.

Board President Mike Matzek said the district is hopeful that the State Legislature allocates more money to school districts. It was pointed out last month that while Prescott has a healthy fund balance now, it could erode if state lawmakers don’t help schools.

“It’s kind of a leap of faith right now with what we’re hoping to get for additional aid from the state,” he said. “I’m glad we can do this. I hope they’re appreciative.”

Hourly pay

The board unanimously adopted new hourly pay rates for administrative assistants, teacher assistants, custodians and food service workers. Under the new plan, custodian wages are increased 50 cents hourly, and others were increased 25 cents hourly.

“These are hard to fill positions,” said board member Tanya Holub. “They’re important positions.”

sports performance, strength, conditioning, Prescott High School, Prescott School Board, Prescott, Wisconsin