Skip to main content

Varsity Singers' parents request school board pay group for cancelled fund-raiser

To a standing room only crowd, Ted Trout, a Huntington North Varsity Singers parent, requested during the Monday, Nov. 9 school board meeting that the Huntington County School Corporation Board of Trustees pay the show choir what they say they've lost due to the board's decision in late May to reschedule Huntington North's Midwest Showcase show choir competition -- an amount pushing $25,000.

"Your decision in May cost us $25,000. You hold the purse strings for the school corporation. I think the decision needs to be made to make the Varsity Singers whole, give them the $25,000," Trout said.

Prior to his request, two Varsity Singers co-chair members spoke about the May decision.

"It will take a few years for recovery from a hit like this ..." said Trout's wife, Sarah.

She also said that they usually have 24-26 competing groups signed up for their host event, but because of having to change their date, once the deadline came, they only had six teams. They had to cancel their event due to lack of participation.

Ann Thompkins, another co-chair, said that upon the decision in May, Andy Eckert, president of the wrestling club, stated he would donate the building rental fees (waived by HNHS Principal Jeremy Gulley) for use of the facilities. At that time, Thompkins said they didn't act on it, but since they cannot host a competition at all now, the Varsity Singers "respectfully request" to take Eckert up on his offer. She added that Gulley should calculate the fees and have the figures given to the club so they can pay the Varsity Singers the "remittance," she explained.

Superintendent of Schools Tracey Shafer and Assistant Superintendent for Business David McKee are going to look into the Varsity Singers' request, but Shafer said that the money would more than likely have to come from the corporation's general fund.