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Show No extra rewards Non-atliletic coaches raise complaints CEDAR CITY - Traditionally, athletic coaches have always been paid for their sports time, but now fine arts coaches, who receive no monetary rewards and feel they are devoting as much time, are questioning the validity of this practice, which coiihi discriminate against them. And to add fuel to the fire, Cedar High School will extend its 1982-83 school day an extra period, allowing scheduling of some sports practices during the last period, as part of the school day. The problem was brought to the attention at-tention of the Iron County School Board last week, and now Parowan High School Principal Leon Hollingshead and CHS Principal Vernile Matheson have teamed up to look at it more carefully. Although in agreement that music, drama . and forensic coaches should be compensated for their extra time, Hollingshead and Matheson see financial woes as probably prohibiting such, but they would also hate to see a cut for athletic coaches. "I see drama and music as a recreation and find these people just as dedicated as our athletic people," Hollingshead said. "These people ought to be paid." "It's traditional that athletics get the money, they do extra; but what makes tradition right, now?" Matheson asked. Steve Laing, vice principal in charge of athletics at CHS, sympathizes with the non-athletic coaches in Iron County as being lower paid than in most parts of the state. The schedules show coaches being paid less than minimum wage, with minimum time put in. Laing emphasized that these coaches put in much more time with pactices, preparation and trips than that minimum time. "Our coaches are worth more, but I don't know where it would come from," Laing said. Faced with the dilemma of splitting the budget among all coahces, thereby reducing the athletic contracts, Laing fears that Iron County could lose some of its best coaches to other schools. Virgil Johnson, CHS wrestling coach, spends two to three hours daily, plus trips and preparation, readying his team. Averaging less than $40 per week during the season, Johnson has also started wrestling programs at the elementary schools, conducting several Saturday tournaments. "I enjoy working with the kids. That's why I do it," Johnson explained, although he admits the monetary aspect acts as an incentive. CHS football coach Dave Jensen works almost year-round keeping his boys in condition through running and weight lifting. In a recent financial request to the school board, which has been tentatively ten-tatively turned down, Parowan's drama coach, Nancy Wilson, sited H7 hours spent working directly with students on the major musical production of "Oklahoma." This doesn't include the hours spent on personal preparation. Richard Johnson, Cedar High drama coach, explained that most drama coaches in the state are being paid for their job. "I've always felt we were getting shafted. The fine arts are just as important, and I'd be willing to match them (athletic coaches) hour for hour," he said. Johnson's regular school day involves in-volves two speech and four drama classes daily, and he spends many hours per week in rehearsals; but, in discussing his schedule, he said, "I'd do it anyway. I can't think of a thing I'd rather do." |