BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The Kern High School District Board met Thursday morning to assess its budget situation and the board spared junior varsity sports, at least for the coming school year.

The idea to cut JV sports first came up last month and was met with a lot of skepticism, but the KHSD Board of Trustees voted to keep the $400,000 funding for this year, but cut $430,000 for the 2010-11 budget year.

"We had some great ideas from parents on how to help the sports program," Trustee Ken Mettler said. "So out of that we crafted this move-those cuts in this arena to 2010-11 and that gives time to our parents and sports people to think of alternatives to those pending cuts, but they're not going to take place right now."

Ideas brought up at the meeting to cover that lost funding ranged from charging transportation fees, to sharing busses for neighboring schools, to cutting down some Frosh/Soph and JV sports schedules and, of course, fund raising.

"This is going to require the help of our community, we're going to need the help of parents, students, administrators and coaches who are going to have to step up and help out," said Centennial High Volleyball Coach Brooke Roberts. "There are some nickel and dime solutions that might have to be done, but anything that can be done to earn the amount of money to run a JV program will benefit our kids and that's the bottom line right there."

The district is trying to save $30 million over the next three school years due to the state budget crisis and dwindling tax revenues.

The board also looked at making significant cuts to summer school, but kept the majority of those programs due their impacts on the district's dropout and graduation rates.

The board is now looking toward employees to help save some money, specifically $3.75 million for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 budget years.

"Every employee group will need to look at some reductions in order to save their fellow employees jobs and provide programs for our kids," Mettler said.

When the funding cut for athletics takes place in 2010-11, it's possible that the athletic departments will figure out how to apply that cut in addition to cost saving moves and fundraising.