[YAK'ker]

We are in much the same boat - rural community, little to no tech industry, poor admin support. I'm pulling out all stops in trying to get our admin to continue providing support for our team, but it seems almost hopeless as he is ending our woodshop and drafting program for next year.

We fought long and hard for a robotics class 2 years ago and finally got it. Now that instructor is retiring, and there's no money for FTE to take on the class. We have only a very part-time mentor (alumni parent) and me (I'm the school librarian, also an alumni parent.) I can't mentor much, because I have to keep the library open until 5 and it's at opposite ends of the building from the shop.

I've got an offer on the table from 4-H to "house" us, provided we can help run a makerspace (at the fairgrounds next door to our high school) for all sorts of robotics (FLL, FTC, MATE, VEX) that all the kids in our county can access, if they join 4-H. While I like that idea, I hesitate to leave our school because we may lose members and it's going to be a lot of work for our tiny team to manage all the makerspace duties AND survive as an FRC team. Also, we are only guaranteed that space for 2 years, as the fairgrounds will be completely renovated then.

That said, our school admin says he "doesn't want us to leave" but is not coming up with solutions to how he can help provide staff support. Our team is willing to help with funding FTE or a coach position, but admin is saying that isn't kosher.

However, I do think there are quite a few teams out there who do have a paid coach? If so, would you let me know about what your budget for that coach is?

thanks, LIz