Crisis averted. High schools, referees strike a deal days before season starts
High school sports in the Treasure Valley will start on time after schools and referees signed a new contract Monday, avoiding a work stoppage that would have put the upcoming season in jeopardy.
The new contract guarantees referees an average 15% raise in game fees across all sports and levels this school year, and a 26% raise by the third and final year of the contract. It also will pay varsity and sub-varsity officials the same mileage rate by the third year.
Those were the two major improvements the Third District Officials Association sought from the District Three Board of Control, the local high school sports governing body. And they were the two major sticking points in negotiations that dragged on for 18 months.
“To be honest, we didn’t really want to do it,” said Terry Beck, the president of the board of control. “But the input we had from our schools was to just get this settled and move forward. It’s going to cost the schools a lot of money.”
The new contract will cost a school with all sports covered by the officials group and a full slate of varsity and sub-varsity teams an extra $3,800 in game fees this school year and $6,500 by the third year, according to calculations by the Idaho Statesman.
The officials group represents referees for seven high school sports: Football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, baseball and softball. It covers more than 50 high schools from Boise to Riggins to Oregon’s Malheur County.
For example, a varsity high school football referee made $65 per game last fall. That same referee will make $71.50 per game this fall, $76 next year and $82 in 2023.
The board of control originally offered smaller raises to officials. But earlier this month, football, soccer and volleyball referees threatened to boycott the upcoming season without a new contract. That left schools with few other options given the ongoing shortage of officials and the looming start of the season.
The first high school soccer games in the Treasure Valley kick off Friday, followed by the first volleyball and football games next week.
“We are starting to move in the right direction so the fees our officials are getting paid are equitable for what the situation is here in the Third District,” said John Cannon, the vice president of the officials association.
“Our area is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. And with the cost of living the way it is, we’re excited. We are happy to be moving all the fees in the right direction and getting us closer to the national average.”
