Superintendent Coby Fletcher told the board he’d received requests to clarify language on making team cuts.

He read through the “Administrative Objectives of the Athletic Program” section in the district’s Athletic Handbook that discussed the no-cut policy.

“To be clear about this, what we’re putting out there is that we don’t believe students should be cut at developmental levels,” Fletcher said. “We believe that the freshman (and junior high) level is a developmental level.”

While the handbook does not totally eliminate cuts at those levels, they are only allowed under “extreme circumstances,” Fletcher said.

Escanaba Area School District Director of Technology Robert Viau presents IT updates and cybersecurity processes at Monday's school board meeting. (Sophie Vogelmann | Daily Press)

If a situation develops in which the coach thinks cuts must be made — such as having too many students on the team or too many teams in each sport — they now take that to the athletic director, Nate Zaremba, who was not at Monday’s meeting.

For example, the freshman volleyball team typically has 16 to 18 students. If a coach has more students than they can reasonably coach but not enough to create two teams, which is allowed, the board recognizes cuts will most likely have to be made.

Cuts do occur in junior varsity and varsity sports, as those are not considered developmental.

Some board members said cuts encourage students to work harder and truly earn their spot on the team, while others stated that students at those levels should be allowed a fair chance to grow into a sport.

“We should be, at the developmental level, giving kids the opportunity to do the things that we endorse in our own athletic philosophy,” Fletcher said.

The board did decide to take out the word “extreme,” leaving just “circumstances” in the handbook as guidance on cuts.

In other business Monday, the board:

— Viewed a PowerPoint presentation from district Director of Technology Robert Viau on IT support services. He also updated the board on EAPS staff changes, including the retirement of network technician Tim Bishop; new software to manage staff communication; the district’s new fiber-optic network locations; and an overview of the data distribution process that would occur during a potential cybersecurity threat.

— Heard the Meemic Foundation, based in Auburn Hills, Mich., has given a $1,000 grant to Webster Kindergarten Center, to be used at the discretion of Principal Krista Johnson.

— Learned that 94% of Elizabeth Mineau’s students — 18 total — scored a 3 or higher on their AP U.S. History exam, or APUSH. In Michigan, the rate of students who score a 3 or higher is 79%, Fletcher said.

— Discussed several new hires for the 2025-26 school year, including two new freshman volleyball coaches, Abigail Rexford and Kim LaMarche.

— Approved sexual abuse prevention videos to be shared within the district.

Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.