By Eric Lusk
Sports Editor
elusk@elkintribune.com

The recent decision by Yadkin County schools not to renew the contracts of 36 teachers and other personnel has left four sports programs at Starmount and Forbush high schools in a state of limbo.

The head coaches for Starmount varsity girls basketball (Kyle Hutchens), Forbush varsity girls basketball (Ashley Clonch), Forbush wrestling (Todd Lockhart) and Forbush hunter safety (David Hutchens) were among those not asked back for 2009-10 based on funding projections for the upcoming school year.

Each of the four were first- or second-year teachers in the county system. Citing budget concerns, Yadkin cut most “non-renewable positioned teachers” across the county in a move announced June 4.

Many of the teachers who were let go could be hired back later this summer, but it’s still unclear when such a decision will be made and how many positions will be restored. Hence, a nervous waiting game for teachers, students and school administrators alike.

“As we get our state budget, we’re hoping to call back as many as we can call back,” Dr. Jim Benfield, superintendent of the Yadkin County School System, said Tuesday afternoon.

“I wouldn’t want to say all of them, but I think we’ll be able to get a good number of them back.”

Benfield made clear that the decision not to renew the contracts of Clonch, Kyle Hutchens, David Hutchens and Lockhart had nothing to do with their status as sports coaches. The four just happened to be among the ranks of non-tenured teachers, many of whom were not asked back. The exceptions were those who teach math, science and special education.

Kyle Hutchens teaches social studies. Clonch and Lockhart are PE teachers, while David Hutchens is a drafting teacher.

“It’s a bad situation for everybody, especially for our girls,” Starmount athletic director Scott Carter said when asked about the current status of the Rams’ girls basketball program. “They don’t have anything certain for the summer. I know Forbush is in the same boat.”

Kyle Hutchens said Tuesday that he is still trying to do many of the coaching things that he normally would do during the summer months.

He has planned a youth basketball camp for girls in grades 2-9 for July 14-16. Current Starmount players will help serve as camp staff.

“We are going to have this camp even without me guaranteed a job,” Hutchens said.

Hutchens also plans to organize the Lady Rams for a team camp in Mount Airy next month.

Clonch also has agreed to be a volunteer coach with the Forbush girls until her status for 2009-10 is made certain. She took a group of Falcons to a team camp last week at UNC Greensboro, where they excelled, she said. Forbush won all but three of its games during the camp tournament and was second in its division behind powerhouse Ashe County.

Clonch also is overseeing open gym time for prospective Forbush players this summer.

“I’m hoping everything works out,” Clonch said. “I know Kyle is building a program at Starmount and I am building a program here. You hate to see that within two years you have to stop what you are doing.”

Hutchens and Clonch both jumped into their roles as varsity girls basketball coaches with gusto when hired for the 2007-08 season. Both work on their programs year-round, and both have reached out to younger players in the county to build for the future.

Clonch, who taught for two years in Wilkes County before coming to Forbush, started the Li’l Falcon Fall League For Girls last September for players in grades 5-8. Hutchens began an AAU program for girls last fall, the Tri-Star Lady Outlaws, which fields teams in several age divisions.

The Outlaws program, not affiliated with the school system, also could be in jeopardy if Hutchens has to find employment elsewhere.

Both Starmount and Forbush made the state playoffs in girls basketball this past winter. The Lady Rams posted the program’s best record in many years, winning 19 games. Starmount was the only team to beat Mountain Valley 2A Conference champion Ashe County during the regular season.

Forbush is solid in girls hoops and is a perennial power in wrestling and hunter safety. Lockhart was in his first year of coaching the wrestling program after taking over for Jamie Kota.

Kyle Hutchens also coached girls tennis at Starmount last fall, while Clonch helped with track and field during the spring.

Starmount High lost a total of five and a half teaching positions with the June 4 announcement. Forbush High lost four and a half. As of now, the Falcons have the equivalent of 1.5 PE teaching positions, Clonch said.

The waiting is the toughest part for all involved. No one quite knows the timeline for when the state will release its budget — or how much money will flow Yadkin County’s way. Or whether the teachers affected by the recent cuts should aggressively pursue other job opportunities, or wait things out in Yadkin hoping their old positions are restored.

“You’re torn because of the girls,” Kyle Hutchens said. “You want to do what’s best for them. That’s who it affects the most. It does affect me but they are the ones who will feel it most.”

The next Yadkin County Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Monday. Clonch is hopeful to hear some good news as early as next week.

“When you’re a head coach, you would hope that you were safe,” she said. “They hired us to build programs. I hope they take that into account when they come to meet.”