[Conor Ryan]

Salary isn't really the correct term, its more of a stipend.

I worked on a proposal in the past to adjust the stipend that the FRC Team was receiving from the school district.

Our proposal was to give the FRC Team the same level of financial support as the school's football team, including having the same number of coaches for the team. After proving that over 80 students were actively involved with the team, the team having a track record of success in competition and academically.

After the presentation Jimmies were clearly rustled (especially since the student captain that year was also a captain on the football team). We ended up with a 300% increase in team funding from the district and a significant stipend raise, however we did not gain additional coaching staff, or the full amount that we requested. However, we "did get support of the school's robotics team" added to the job requirements within the tech ed department, so there is hope that we can make a difference again in the future.

I'm not longer involved with the team, however they are going back again this year during budgeting discussions. Board of Ed members are incredibly supportive of the team, they understand that a well designed FRC program can substantially improve the academic scores of the district if managed correctly.