School board hears Jasper Athletics report
At Monday’s regular Greater Jasper Consolidated School Board of Trustees meeting, the board heard a report on the overall successes and income of the corporation’s sports programs.
Jasper Athletic Director Phil Kendall reported that Jasper Athletics had an exceptionally strong year, with five of six spring sports winning sectional titles, including a team state championship and an individual state champion. The department finished third overall in the SIAC conference standings behind Castle and Memorial, despite capturing five team conference championships.
I keep saying one day we’re going to win this thing,” Kendall told the board. “It actually means quite a bit to me.”
Financially, the athletic department exceeded expectations with total receipts and expenses of over $1.1 million, finishing with a surplus of $38,800.
All-sports pass sales generated $52,979 in 24/25, representing a $13,417 increase from the previous school year and nearly $20,000 more than two years ago.
The addition of digital scoreboards at football, baseball, and softball facilities significantly boosted advertising revenue from $33,500 to $54,250, creating $20,750 in additional passive income. The department continues investing surplus funds in a certificate of deposit at Old National Bank, currently valued at $41,579. Kendall acknowledged the need to reallocate more money back into individual programs, noting the department should operate closer to break-even as a not-for-profit entity.
The department maintains a healthy balance of $227,824, representing a $207,000 increase over four years since Kendall’s tenure began.
He explained that he would like to see the individual sports come to him with their needs to use the funds and avoid fundraising activities.
The IHSAA and SIAC are pushing for ticket price increases from $6 to $7, with sectional prices rising from $7 to $8. Kendall expresses concern about justifying price increases to the community, given the department’s strong financial position.
“I brought it up to the people down in Evansville,” he stated.
He also reported that the new student transfer rule, allowing one-time transfers without sitting out a season, has had minimal impact locally, with only one student leaving and two joining.
“I was expecting it to be more, to be honest,” Kendall said, adding that he felt that people in the area want to play for the team in their community.
Jasper competes in Class 3A for most four-class sports systems and Class 4A in football’s six-class system, maintaining competitive status across all athletic programs.
The board also took the following actions.
Cabby O’Neill Historic Designation
The board heard about the process taken by volunteers to have the gym added to the National Registry of Historic Sites. Here is a story on that.
Budget Approvals
The board approved an additional appropriation of $2 million for the education fund to ensure adequate spending authority through the calendar year. The district has already spent 62% of previously approved appropriations totaling $23,028,500.
Student Achievement
Student achievement data shows strong performance on IREAD-3 assessments, with a 92.7% pass rate compared to the state average of 87.3%. Subgroup performance significantly exceeds state averages, particularly for free and reduced lunch students (91.6% vs. 76% statewide) and special education students (83.9% vs. 57.1% statewide).
