Freeport Area High School swim team’s major concern may not be as much winning meets as getting to the pool to compete.

That was the message Sheryl Schrecongost, a volunteer coach for the swim team, presented to the board Wednesday.

It stems from the district not paying for buses to transport the 22-member team to its meets this season, which begins in December.

Schrecongost noted that the district does not have a swimming pool where the team can practice and hold meets. It also doesn’t provide money for equipment or anything else regarding its efforts.

“The only funding that we get from Freeport is transportation, and we were told that was taken away,” Schrecongost said.

“We were told that we should carpool,” she said. “That is unfair from a liability standpoint for the parents, not to mention unsafe.”

Superintendent Ian Magness said the swim team is among those who carry Freeport Area’s colors that are considered “club” sports.

While he said teams such as swimming and lacrosse compete interscholastically, they are considered club sports because they are not supported financially by the school district.

He said the club sports basically get financing from the athletes’ parents and booster groups. Magness said the district generally does not pay to transport those teams to competitions and practices. However, he said the district did pay the transportation costs for the swim team last year, which he said averages about $3,000, and that it has been an off-and-on proposition over the past several years.

“Right now, swimming was the only (club) sport that we paid transportation for,” Magness said.

“The issue is we don’t pay for transportation for other club sports,” he said.

He said that places the district and the school board in the difficult position of saying “yes” to some athletes and “no” to others.

Schrecongost is concerned that situation might discourage swimmers from competing and cheat them of part of their high school experience.

Addressing the school board, Schrecongost said, “You want these kids to be involved in everything, but when you don’t give them the opportunity, you take that away.”

“If they can’t get to where they have to go to, they’re going to quit,” she said.

The issue comes at a time when the district experienced a $743,000 deficit for the last school year and, according to Business Manager Ryan Manzer, is looking at a preliminary deficit of $900,000 for this school year.

But board President Dan Lucovich told Schrecongost the administration and the board would look at the situation and try to find some resolution.

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