Anna-Jonesboro prep wrestling lives on through area donations

ANNA, Ill. -- A decline in enrollment and state funding have put Anna-Jonesboro Community School District 81 in a financial fix.

For the past few years, the district has made cuts to try to balance its budget. This has meant not replacing retired teachers, laying off an administrator and coaches, and cutting programs with low participation.

Wrestling hasn't started, so school superintendent Jim Woodward doesn't know what the interest level is. Wrestling season in Illinois starts Dec. 7 and ends with the state tournament the last weekend in February.

Last year, four athletes went out for wrestling -- one of whom was injured most of the year, Woodward said. Ideally, wrestling programs should have 36 to 40 participants on junior varsity and varsity teams to fill 14 weight classes, Woodward said, so because so few athletes signed up, the school board decided not to fund it.

Rollie Hawk, president of the A-J Junior Wildcats Wrestling Club, a privately funded youth wrestling program for ages 5 to 14, said the club attracts 30 participants.

"We're expecting about 45 to register this year. We always pick up some new ones," Hawk said.

At a regular board meeting Oct. 21, Hawk presented a check for $500 and Wildcats coach Grover Gene Mays presented a check for $5,000 from Grover Mays Construction, which is owned by Grover Mays Jr., Grover Gene Mays' father.

"We knew that we were going to have to find some way to help out this year, and Grover Mays Construction was very generous and offered to help out," Hawk said. "The Grover that heads [the company] has seven grandkids in the [teens] program," with more to come.

Grover Gene Mays said Anna has a rich wrestling tradition. "Our kids love it," he said. "It teaches them discipline and sportsmanship."

Hawk's daughter, Madi, also plans to keep wrestling, he said.

"We want to make sure the program stays in good shape," Hawk said, adding he'd like to see it get up to 25 or 30 at the high school.

Depending on the season, Woodward said Anna-Jonesboro Community School District offers girls volleyball, soccer, boys and girls golf, boys and girls basketball, bowling, boys baseball, girls softball, boys and girls track in the spring.

Hawk said wrestling also could be a favorite, with more promotion.

"So much of wrestling is taking place in a cold gym early in the morning off somewhere where people don't know about," Hawk said. But if events took place Friday and Saturday nights and more people attended, Hawk said more students would get interested in the sport.

Woodward said the Anna-Jonesboro district's budget runs a "little over $5 million." The main parts of district funding are local tax dollars and general state aid. The state uses a formula with a variety of components, such as average daily attendance, to determine state aid.

In the past five or six years, District 81's enrollment has dropped from 580 to 460, he said.

After the state calculates what it's supposed to give districts and finds it doesn't have enough to send the whole amount, the state prorates it. As a result, districts get two checks a month for 11 months.

"They prorate the funding at 11 percent less than the foundation level," Woodward said. This has been the case the past two years, Woodward said.

The district also receives federal dollars and grants, along with revenue from athletic events and programs, Woodward said. The district also charges an athletic fee, which used to be $25 but went up to $50 this year.

The past three years, the district has been deficit spending and taking funds from about $1.9 million in reserves to make up the difference. "This year, we're only deficit spending $163,000 ..." Woodward said. Last year, it was about $453,000, and $330,000 in 2011.

"At the end of this year, we will be below $1 million in reserves," Woodward said. " ... It's our job to try to get the budget balanced."

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address: 608 S. Main St., Anna, Ill.