South St. Paul High School activities director Rich Dippel was one of 20 people from around the state who met Wednesday in Ottertail, Minn., to discuss the problems many schools have in funding sports and other activities.
Friday, Dippel learned his job is being eliminated. The reason? Funding shortfalls.
He was told by Superintendent Patty Heminover that because of a projected district budget shortage of $1 million for the 2009-10 school year, the high school administration was being restructured for 2008-09, including the elimination of his job. Those moves are on top of almost $44,000 in already-announced activity cuts for 2008-09, including six junior high coaching positions, higher activity fees and a reduced supply budget.
It remains unclear how activities will be administered in South St. Paul without an activities director. Heminover did not respond to a telephone message.
Dippel, who has been the activities director at South St. Paul since 2004, was hired after five years as director of the parks and recreation department in South St. Paul. He also had worked as assistant athletic director at South St. Paul and Richfield and had been the baseball coach at South St. Paul.
The school board must approve the elimination of Dippel's job. He plans to be at the board's next meeting on July 14 "in an effort to clarify the need for this move at this time," he said in an e-mail.
JOHN MILLEA
Canaries rough up Saints Ryan Ford pitched eight strong innings, giving up two runs and six hits and leading the Sioux Falls Canaries to a 13-3 American Association victory over the visiting Saints.
