WPIAL athletic directors approve a recommended pay scale for officials every five years. This year is the final year of the current agreement.
The recommended rate for next year increases to $84 with $2 increases annually, but the officials say they’re frustrated because the schools ignored their $90 request.
“That’s fine; we accept the federal court’s ruling. Thanks to that court ruling, as independent contractors, we each have the individual right to take or to decline whatever games we want. We are each free to decline any offered price that any one of us thinks is too low.” Each WPIAL school sets its own independent rate for officials. The number agreed upon by the WPIAL athletic directors — $80 — is only a recommendation and a few schools already pay varsity lacrosse officials $90.
WPIAL schools say there’s no money in many athletic department budgets for a rate increase this spring. Besides, they argue, if boys lacrosse officials receive a raise now, all other sports will expect more money.“We try to give them more money on a yearly basis,” said Mt. Lebanon athletic director John Grogan, who represents ADs on the WPIAL board. “Quite frankly, I respect the hell out of what they do. ...