“The kids want to play.”

“I’m very glad we got to reschedule. We got to see a great game.”

Chillicothe R-2 Board of Education President Paul Thomas said those words to open Tuesday night’s monthly board meeting, which was moved to the Chillicothe High School Library from the usual district headquarters, and from the 6:30 p.m. normal start time to 7:30 p.m., to accommodate the Class 4, District 16 basketball tournament, held in the CHS gymnasium.

Just prior to the meeting, the CHS boys basketball team grabbed a 41-38 win over Smithville, to extend their season at least one game more.

Perhaps that was a sign of things to come.

The Board approved a measure Tuesday night to expand the Chillicothe Middle School seventh grade sports program offerings, per the suggestions of CMS Principal Steve Haley and R-2 Athletic Director Tim Cool. The item had been suggested in prior board meetings, and Haley had drawn up a financial plan in past months.

“I know it would be what’s best for kids,” Haley said. “It’s just whether we’d be able to swing it [financially].”

The Chillicothe Middle School currently provides two seventh grade programs: wrestling and track and field.

The Haley/Cool Plan adds a football and volleyball team, as well as boys and girls basketball teams to that group. The expansion start-up costs, in total, $23,712.

Haley explained that because the eighth grade teams from other school districts already have one year of experience on the Chillicothe program (in that they have these seventh grade programs, while Chillicothe does not), that R-2 is at a consistent annual athletic disadvantage in the aforementioned sports.

“There’s a learning curve every year,” Haley said, when introducing the plan. “In our eighth grade year, our teams are always taking a beating.”

Both Haley and Cool were present for Tuesday’s meeting, and Haley outlined the specifics of the plan to the board, including detailed fiscal receipts and expenditures associated with the approximately $24,000 tab that the district would have to take on.

In his monthly report to the board, Haley also noted that, “Mr. Cool and I went through some information with [R-2 Superintendent] Dr.  [Roger] Barnes regarding what it would take to start up 7th grade sports with each of the sports we contest in. We discussed start-up costs, maintenance costs, potential competitors, and potential coaches. There is a strong interest in getting this going and we know that it is good for kids. We also understand the financial constraints and want to have our ducks in a row should the funding be available.”

Understandably, the implementation of the seventh grade football program is the most expensive of the four, taking up over half of the allotted amount in expected need to upstart the expansion ($12,635). Most of that number comes via equipment costs, which are $9,109 for football, compared to $2,000 for both basketball programs, and $1,500 for volleyball. Equipment costs do make up the largest total program expense, with $12,609 needed between the four programs to get started.

Haley said that there would also be a need to hire one additional football coach (likely an assistant coach, designated to a specific group of players, for $2,240), one volleyball coach (for $1,120), one girls basketball coach ($1,680), and one boys basketball coach ($1,680). Coaching costs total $6,720.

Board member Robin Westphal asked if there had been expressed internal staff interest in coaching these teams. Fellow member Jason Bone agreed.

“That is one of my biggest concerns,” he said.

Haley said that there were persons inside the R-2 district who had announced a possible want to coach these programs, if the plan were to be approved.

“I know from past conversations,” Haley said. He admitted, though, that he hadn’t approached these persons recently about he prospect of coaching.

“We do have a plan for that, though, yes,” he said.

The seventh grade volleyball program would take a total investment of $4,193 to start up.

The duo of basketball programs would cost a total of $6,884, combined.

Yearly upkeep of the four seventh grade programs is figured to be $11,103.

“Do I think we can ‘swing it?’” Barnes asked, aloud. “I think so.” He then turned his attention to the Board.

“Are you ready to commit to that sustainability?” he asked.

“The kids want to play,” Haley said. “And they’re going to do better in school when they’re competing. Attendance rates will be significantly better, which means more money.”

Cool stepped in at this point, as well, adding that he expected he could get anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 in Booster Club dollars for the start of these programs by Aug. 2012.

“I don’t want to speak for the Booster Club, but there’s a way we can raise $6,000 easily,” he said.

Estimated additional gate revenues for home contests totalled $3,910.

“With increased presence at games, there’s increased presence at concession stands, too,” Haley noted. “And one thing that is not included in those numbers is participation fees.”

The high school and middle school currently uses a “pay to play” method for their student athletes, in which they pay a certain fee for participation in a sport or activity. Participation in more than one sport moves payments on a sliding scale, where the more sports one is in, the less they must pay per.

It is expected that they will do so with the seventh grade program, as well. No specific details pertaining to this were actually fleshed out, however, on Tuesday night.

In football, five schools have expressed interest in competing with the Chillicothe program. They are Trenton, Savannah, Cameron, Marshall, and Maryville. This is the same for volleyball. All but Maryville showed interest in competing with Chillicothe, if they implemented seventh grade girls and boys basketball teams. Smithville was among the list of interested teams at one point, but have since declined.

“The one with seventh grade sports are interested in competing as much as possible,” Haley said.

For the 2012 season, the seventh grade football team is expected to play five games, with two of those being home games, and three away. The two home games will be played on the new field, north of the Chillicothe High School.

Eight basketball and volleyball contests, each, are planned for 2012. Four of those would be home games. Four would be away games.

“We will not [play] after Christmas,” Haley stressed.

Board member Julie McCoy asked if student participation in these sports could be counted on.

“Do you think they’ll have the same interest?” she asked.

“I do,” Haley said. He said that he expected interest to be extremely high, especially with this being the first year of participation. He did not anticipate that interest to dwindle, from the word-of-mouth he’d taken into account.

Haley was asked if action needed to be taken tonight, in order for a seventh grade season to take place next school year.

“For scheduling, it would be helpful,” Haley said. “For scheduling officials, too.”

“It seems to me, the benefits far outweigh the costs,” Thomas said. Member Michael Leamer agreed.

“I’d say if this is what we’ve got, we take action,” Leamer said.

Both Haley and Cool thanked the Board for considering the matter, and for letting them speak.

Leamer moved that the Board accept the proposal to expand the seventh grade sports program via the terms of the Haley/Cool Plan. Board member Shawn Skoglund seconded the motion. It was unanimously approved by voice vote.