With the report in from the Ad Hoc Committee, Saline Area Schools are expected to take the next step in their process to review the athletic department.

At its upcoming Jan. 14 meeting, the school board will look to hire an outside company to conduct a third-party review of the department.

The Ad Hoc committee was formed in the wake of the varsity football season in which the team had to forfeit three games due to residency concerns in violation of the Michigan High School Athletic Association guidelines and rules.

In November, the Saline Board of Education established the ad hoc committee with the following directive:

· Purpose: To research the parameters for engaging an independent third party to conduct a transparent review of the athletic department.

· Timeline: Findings were to be presented by the next Board of Education meeting or as early as January 2025.

· Scope: The committee was tasked solely with gathering information for future Board deliberations, without providing recommendations.

The Sun Times News followed up with school board president Michael McVey to get an update going into the Jan. 14 meeting.

McVey said at first, the role of the ad hoc committee was to outline the parameters of what a third-party review might look like. Among other things, he said the ad hoc committee gained a sense of the timeline for such a review and learned that the fact-finding portion of the review would be quicker than first thought and a final report would likely arrive within two months of the review beginning. 

The school board on Dec. 10 then asked that the committee to continue their work and put out a Request for Proposals (RFP). McVey said he’s shared with the school board that the committee has heard back from three independent contractors and they are compiling CVs and Proposals for the board to consider at the Jan. 14 open meeting.

 “I am optimistic that the board will select a contractor at that time and we will immediately begin the process of making an offer,” McVey said.

Among the things the third-party reviewer might do is:

A Departmental Audit:

Including an evaluation of the following areas:

• Communication with students/families/community
• Coaching Standards / Training (MHSAA Compliance)
• Climate and Culture
• Title IX Compliance
• Finances, Including Fundraising
• Leadership Development, and Mentorship
• Coach and Program Assessment
• Management of end-of-year Surveys
• Innovations in Athletics
• Process for recruiting and hiring athletic department staff (experience, credentials)
• Process for recruiting, hiring, evaluating, and terminating of coaching staff
• Process for incoming student-athletes and the role of the Athletic Department in verifying residency
• Compliance with MHSAA rules regarding eligibility

One of the main goals will be to provide “a high-level and readable overview highlighting departmental strengths, identifying weaknesses, and offering actionable suggestions for growth and improvement.”