By ADAM STEWART

News editor

USD 408 Board of Education cut one assistant coach each from softball, wrestling, and middle school football, but golf took the biggest hit as the Board of Education approved supplemental assignments for the coming year Monday.

Unless there is a surge in interest in golf, Marion High School won’t have a golf team next spring.

Superintendent Lee Leiker said few students participated in golf this spring, and even fewer are likely to do so in 2014.

With the expense of using Marion Country Club, golf has a high cost per participant. Leiker estimated cutting golf would save $5,000 in coaches’ pay, transportation, and use of the country club. Lucas King and Thane Schwartz were co-coaches the past season.

Leiker said the district could cooperate with Peabody-Burns High School on a shared team, but that would take an agreement by both school boards. Peabody-Burns uses a Newton golf course for practices.

The board also approved a 5-cent across-the-board increase in breakfast and lunch prices.

Breakfast

Elementary school — $1.45.

Middle and high school — $1.70.

Adult — $2.60.

Lunch

Elementary school — $2.05.

Middle and high school — $2.30.

Adult — $3.20.

Extra milk will increase from 35 cents to 40 cents.

The board set a sliding scale for enrollment fees. Previously, enrollment cost $35 per student. New fees will be $45 for the first student in a family, $40 for the second, $30 for the third, $25 for the fourth, $20 for the fifth, and $15 for the sixth and subsequent students. Leiker recommended the sliding scale to reduce the burden on families with many students in school.

Leiker said decreased enrollment probably would necessitate increased taxes if programs and staffing stays the same.

“As we get closer and closer to that 2A level, we’ve got to have a 2A staff,” he said.

The district will publish a proposed budget in July 31 in the Marion County Record and have a budget hearing Aug. 12.

In other business, the board gave permission to FFA officers to go on a retreat to Breckenridge, Colo., from July 29 to Aug. 3. In the mornings, officers will work on leadership activities. Afternoons will include recreation, such as rafting. The group will take two sponsors and two vehicles. Funds for the trip will come from the FFA alumni chapter.