NJSIAA business administrator Gary Zarrilli said the 2012-13 budget includes anticipated revenue of $4,980,465 and anticipated expenses of $5,389,430 for a projected shortfall of $408,965.
Including an anticipated deficit of $250,000 during the current school year, the NJSIAA has lost $2.24 million since 2005. The organization has reserves of around $550,000, Zarrilli said.
"I don't have all the answers," Timko said. "This is something we're working on with the finance committee. We continue to look for ways to improve this."
The NJSIAA's executive committee unanimously approved the 2012-13 budget without discussion.
Timko said the organization is determined not to cut programs. The NJSIAA offers programs for more than 255,000 student athletes, more than all but seven other state organizations, and its 32 championships are most in the nation.
"That's something we're very proud of," Timko said.
Timko said the 2012-13 budget includes 2 percent raises in salaries for the organization's 14 full-time employees, including its five senior directors. Timko said salaries were frozen the previous two years.
The NJSIAA's money woes have accelerated in recent years because of a law that went into effect in January 2010, requiring that ticket prices to tournament events at high school venues be the same as prices to regular-season events, with some exceptions.
Every championship season, the NJSIAA lobbies the state Department of Education for the right to raise ticket prices to tournament events.
"We continue to hope to get approval" for increased ticket prices, Timko said.
Timko said the NJSIAA hopes to increase revenue by seeking alternative sites for the state wrestling championships, which have been held in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall for most of the last 20 years.
Timko said requests for proposals to host the wrestling championships would be sent to venues around the state in the next two weeks.
The NJSIAA also hopes to cut its deficit by asking the 32 high schools that host district wrestling championships to assume financial responsibility for the events. Zarrilli said the NJSIAA has lost $40,000 to $45,000 per year on district wrestling in recent seasons.
Timko said schools that host the districts have been "very positive" about assuming responsibility for the events.
Zarrilli said the NJSIAA also is hoping for more corporate sponsorship and is optimistic about the possibility of generating revenue from advertising on an improved website.
"We have some things in the works," Zarrilli said.
This and that. The executive committee ruled that North Bergen must vacate the North I Group 4 title in football because of recruiting violations. The controversies committee had placed North Bergen on probation, but Montclair, which lost to North Bergen in the title game, appealed the ruling and asked for a harsher penalty on North Bergen.
The executive committee tabled a recommendation to add a wrestleback round to the state championships for wrestlers who lose in pre-quarterfinal competition on Friday night. Timko said he wanted to determine the "cost factors" of adding the round.
Contact Phil Anastasia at 856-779-3223, panastasia@phillynews.com, or @PhilAnastasia on Twitter. Read his blog, "Jersey Side Sports," at www.philly.com/jerseysidesports
