School officials considering cutting athletics in Centralia to deal with budget shortfall

CENTRALIA, Wash. - The Centralia School District is considering major cuts, including all athletics, to address a massive budget short fall.

School officials say as of right now, there is no definitive plan to have athletics in the Centralia School District.

Ed Petersen, spokesperson for the district, said they are facing a 22% budget shortfall.

Several cuts are being considered to deal with the shortfall including staffing, activities, and athletics.

Petersen says sports are levy-funded and the last levy failed.

“A lot of kids will be impacted. My senior year will be impacted. Our senior class will be impacted. Because a lot of kids rely on sports; that’s like the only thing they got,” said Benito Valencia, a three-sport athlete going into his senior year.

Some say they will work to do what they can, even without district dollars.

“Every Centralia coach voted to take zero salary to make sports a go,” said Jeremy Thibault, the head coach of football at Centralia High School.

Petersen says the school district will try again to pass a levy in the fall.