As Ligonier Valley school directors work to close a 10.8-mill gap in their 2004-05 budget, parents are asking the board to reinstate positions cut in this year's budget.
Joe Ludwig asked the board Monday night to consider bringing back several assistant coach positions that were eliminated last year.
He said sports help to establish important skills and keep some students in school.
"It seems to me that when there are budget problems, the first things to be cut are sports and extracurricular activities," Ludwig said.
"The people of this district have to consider raising taxes," he added. "If that's what has to be done, that's what has to be done."
School Director Carol Henderson said the board has no choice but to cut extracurricular activities first.
"It's the curriculum that we've got to keep the focus on," she said.
Henderson said the federal No Child Left Behind Act has put even more pressure on school districts to do just that.
Paul Kennedy seconded Ludwig's call for bringing back coaches and also asked the board to return an English teacher whose hours were cut to part-time status.
"Please be extra cautious with the reduction of teachers," he said.
The board later approved a resolution allowing a staff reduction for the 2004-05 school year because of declining enrollment.
Board President Bonnie Springer said the board has not yet decided what cuts, if any, will be made.
"We truthfully don't know what we're doing," she said. "We've got to think about it and come up with the best decision for everybody."
The board also cited shrinking federal funding and skyrocketing insurance costs as problems in balancing next year's budget.
A budget meeting has been scheduled for 6 p.m. May 11 at the district's administration building. The meeting is open to the public.
