The Jim Thorpe Area School District board of directors voted Wednesday to replace outdated sports uniforms and equipment for the district’s spring sports teams.

But there was plenty of discussion first, as some members expressed concern about adding expenses while the district is expected to lose money this school year under its current budget.

“We have the world’s greatest athlete buried in our town, we represent Jim Thorpe and we go looking like crap going to our events because we don’t even have decent looking uniforms,” said school board member Scott Pompa.

The board voted to purchase uniforms and equipment expected to cost the district nearly $25,000. The expenses were not in this year’s budget, so the board plans to use some of the money it recently collected for paying to educate students from other districts who were housed at the former Camp Adams.

The district has collected over $1 million in payments from school districts that sent students to Camp Adams since June.

Garritano, chairman of the board’s athletic committee, recently met with the spring sports coaches to learn what equipment they needed for the upcoming season.

He said he learned that the baseball team’s facilities were in need of upgrades, including a batting cage which was damaged by snow, a portable backstop, and a fence to prevent balls from rolling over a bank and off of school property.

Garritano said baseball parents had been replacing ripped baseball pants for the past seven years, which he said was unacceptable.

Initially, the board voted 5-4 to delay purchasing the uniforms until their next meeting. Garritano and three other newcomers, Paul Montemuro, Cindy Lesisko-Henning and Scott Pompa, voted against.

The five incumbents on the board — Glenn Confer, Gerald Strubinger, Dennis McGinley, Ron Marciante and Pearl Downs-Sheckler, said they wanted to look at the budget to see what impact it would have.

Confer said the uniforms weren’t in the district’s budget for this year.

“If we’re in the hole for $1 million bucks, let’s deal with that first,” Strubinger said.

A student in attendance, Danni Mergle, said that her softball team was forced to wear oversized pants because all of the pants in normal sizes had been ripped at the seams.

“We look like absolute trash when we go out there. I’m not trying to be mean. I get that we haven’t played the greatest — but we at least do deserve to look nice when we go out,” she said.

The newcomers persisted, and Confer decided to change his vote.

Confer then said he would support uniforms for baseball only, which upset some parents.

“I have six daughters and two in the program. Anytime anything comes up, I don’t hear girls softball, I don’t hear girls soccer, all I hear is baseball, football, nothing comes up about the girls.

Eventually they moved forward with uniforms for all three sports. They agreed to spend $4,950 for 25 baseball uniforms; $675 for 15 pants for JV baseball; $3,202 for 20 varsity softball uniforms; and $6,050 for boys track and field uniforms as well as running capris for the girls team.

Asked whether the uniforms were competitively bid, board member Paul Montemuro said that the board purchased the uniforms which were the least expensive that would last the longest.

“You can buy the cheap stuff, you have to buy qualified stuff that’s gonna last so you can get more years out of it,” he said.

Montemuro said the board wants to return to a schedule where a few teams have uniforms replaced each year.

Not all the recommendations were followed. The board decided not to buy equipment bags for the baseball team as well as a turf mat to cover the gym floor when they practice indoors. Montemuro said they would look for a cheaper alternative.

There was less controversy surrounding the purchase of athletic equipment. The board voted to purchase 10 baseball helmets and two sets of catchers gear, which need to be replaced so they meet standards set by the PIAA.

They voted to spend $5,246 to replace the batting cage and $1,500 for the portable backstop. They also voted to spend $1,581 to purchase clay blocks for the pitchers mound and home plate; $2,800 for four pallets of Turface, a material which helps fields dry faster; and $2,500 for a portable outfield fence. They also voted to buy five pylo bricks, which are used in the track team’s training, at a total cost of $1,150.

New soccer program

The board made several other decisions related to athletics Wednesday night.

Members voted to establish a junior high boys’ soccer program for the 2020-21 fall season. The cost including uniforms and coaches is $4,500.

The board also accepted the resignation of volleyball coach Victoria Nichols.

The board also approved Superintendent John Rushefski as a volunteer baseball and softball coach, and athletic director Dustin McAndrew as a volunteer softball coach.

They also discussed a shed which was paid for by members of the tennis team. District officials said they are working on getting permits from the borough of Jim Thorpe to begin using the shed.

They also recognized all-state football players CJ Selby and Cobe Frycklund, who were in attendance to present the Class of 2020’s request to hold graduation outdoors at the high school stadium.