The Williston Public School District 1 School Board voted 3-2 Thursday evening to pay the meal and lodging expenses for hockey coaches and bus drivers, along with substitute teacher costs that are needed in a coach's absence, to further clarify a memorandum of understanding with the Williston Basin Skating Club Inc.

The school district sanctions and has full control of the high school hockey program that is offered via the skating club. The agreement under discussion with the skating club states the school district is responsible for transportation, coaching salaries and a $5,000 ice usage fee. Outside of these expenses, the skating club reimburses the school district for all expenses to run the hockey program.

Lodging and meals for coaches and bus drivers and the cost of substitute teachers were originally items the agreement stated the skating club is to pay. That changed during the board's regular monthly meeting Thursday as it debated who should cover those expenses.

Board member Malcolm Pippin stated the school district should pay these expenses since that is what is done for coaches and bus drivers for other sports.

Superintendent Dr. Viola LaFontaine said if the hockey program is treated the same as other high school sports, these hockey expenses would have to be covered by the school district's general fund. The school district pools the gate receipts from games and the participation fees from the students to pay for coaches, bus driver and substitute expenses for its other sports.

The school district doesn't, however, get the gate receipts from the hockey games or the participation fees for hockey.

"What are we going to do with all of the other organizations that go from the school and pay for their own driver?" board member Duane DeMars asked.

DeMars felt rushed the first time the board considered the hockey agreement and felt it was being rushed again.

"There should be some contribution that the hockey people pay," DeMars said.

Pippin said the contribution made by the skating club is the building it provides for the hockey program.

In response to DeMars' claim of the board being rushed, Pippin said the board recently approved giving $50,000 to build the new Williston outdoor tennis complex that isn't owned by the district.

Pippin felt that decision had very little review before it was approved.

"I just feel we're giving preferential treatment to a group," board member Susan Brokaw said of the hockey program.

Pippin moved that the district pay the lodging and meal expenses for the hockey coaches and bus drivers and the substitute teacher costs. He voted for the motion, along with board member Kim Egge and board President Dave Hanson. DeMars and Brokaw voted no.