Questions and Answers
Division of Duties/Services Currently Provided by the LAUSD Athletics Office
Q1 Why will there be two offices starting July 1st?
With the growth of the Section and inclusion of independent charter schools, it was time to operate as the other Sections comparable to our size in the CIF, rather than continue governance within the school district, which also carried much of the financial burden of CIF business.
Q2 Are our schools and leagues becoming part of the CIF Southern Section?
No. The LA City Section will continue to be its own Section, as it is now one of the five largest Sections in the state, based on total enrollment and number of schools.
Q3 Where will the two offices be located?
The CIF Section office will be located in the San Fernando Valley, at 8401 Arleta Avenue, in Sun Valley, across the street from Poly HS. It is expected that the Athletics Office will remain at its current location, although this is yet to be determined.
Q4 What will be the make up the staff of the two offices?
As of July 1st, the Section Office will include the Commissioner, an Assistant Commissioner, an Executive Assistant, an Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper, and a Marketing Director. The staff in the Athletics Office is yet to be determined by LAUSD.
Q5 When will the Section Office staff be in place?
All staff members are projected to be selected prior to July 1.
Q6 What are the main benefits for making this change?
With two offices now doing the work of one, individual schools and leagues will receive more direct services, with more attention being paid to the needs of the Section.
Q7 Will this change affect the playoff structure?
No, playoffs would only change in the future if IAC chose to do so.
Q8 What will be the main effect of these changes on schools?
By and large, school athletic programs will not be affected by the changes, other than the LAUSD schools, which will have a dues assessment for provision of services, as all other schools in the state have paid since becoming a member of the Section. School principals and athletic personnel have been informed with advance notice. The CIF LA Section dues structure is the same as what all of the charter schools have been paying for several years for services provided.
On the other hand, there will be a positive effect on schools, wherein more attention will be paid to specific issues at schools, by the District Office for LAUSD concerns, and by the Section Office for CIF concerns.
Q9 What is the dues assessment based upon?
The assessment is based on three factors at the school: enrollment, number of sports fielded, and number of teams/individuals who qualify for playoffs.
Q10 What is the average assessment, when is it paid, and what does it cover?
The average assessment to schools will be approximately $4500, due on November 1, 2013. However, the Section will continue to provide some services that were previously provided to District schools, such as funding the lodging, transportation and meals for teams and individuals who qualify for playoffs, as well as provision of Section passes to contests. These services are not provided by any other Section. The dues assessment will be reviewed by IAC for the 2014-15 school year.
Q11 What sources of funds can schools use to pay the Section dues?
Schools have several options to pay Section dues: 1) Use of Student Body Funds; 2) Fundraising; 3) Use of a donation account. Please note that students/parents cannot be required to contribute to this assessment.
Q12 What role will LAUSD play in the CIF LA City Section structure?
As recently established, the governance of the Section will not be specifically affected by LAUSD decisions; however, given the fact that LAUSD will still account for two thirds of the total member schools in the Section, there will continue to be a need for the District and the Section to communicate and collaborate on issues that affect all schools.
February 25, 2013
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