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The athletic director for the Grand Coulee Dam School District got a $4,000 annual boost in pay, and a 6-percent raise for non-union classified staffers is also coming following a vote by the school board Dec. 20.

But not without questions and discussion that shed light on hard decision that may be coming.

Superintendent Paul Turner told the board that Athletic Director Tim Rasmussen is "really doing a bang-up job," and Turner wants him to do more.

Rasmussen teaches four classes of physical education and has a part-time AD contract to be in charge of the district's sports programs all year for $5,000.

But Turner wants him to put together a "holistic" programs that knits together the district's student-athletes efforts from early grades through high school.

"The stuff that I'm asking Tim to do not only is managing the programs that we have right now, and help align them, but looking beyond that," Turner said.

He wants Rasmussen to analyze challenges and design solutions. Turner mentioned working with a booster club, planning for facilities and equipment upgrades, analyzing needs for keeping teams competitive "in the upper half" of the league, and more.

"Looking at the AD in a more holistic program," Turner said. "More than just, 'here's your balls and here's your uniforms.'"

Director Carla Marconi asked if the district's athletics program has a mission statement, and pressed Turner on whether the district has the money.

That question still doesn't have an easy answer in the wake of the state's overhaul of education funding, which is still being tinkered with at the state level. Turner indicated funding is said to be coming, but districts have not yet seen the solution from the Legislature.

The board passed the athletic director raise unanimously, just before also approving a non-union classified raise to match one union members got earlier. Together, those will amount to about a $19,000 tweak to the district's $12 million budget, figured new board member Brenda Covington, who had just been sworn in at the beginning of the meeting.

But the discussion around those questions illuminated the nervousness of the board about meeting future district obligations, and the possibility of cutbacks to adjust if all does not go well.

"Right now, we're playing the game of where's the money coming from," said Turner, who estimates the district will be $800,000 short next year if a levy passes in February, but no further help comes from the state.

Board President Rich Black noted the board would soon be starting to set a budget for the next school year.

"I think going into it we're just going to have to say ... we just can't make any more adjustments upward," he said. "And probably the issue will be reduction in staff."

Turner said the board would need to make a decision on that question by the end of February.