Photo by Associated Press The Frederick County Board of Education voted Wednesday to restore diving after finding $12,700 to operate the program and money to buy two new diving boards. Purchase this photo

The Board of Education voted Wednesday to restore diving after finding $12,700 to operate the program and money to buy two new diving boards.

The board approved its fiscal 2010 operating budget Wednesday.

Frederick County Public Schools officials submitted a balanced budget of $497.2 million.

At an afternoon planning session, Hal Keller, executive director of fiscal services, told board members that Ray Barnes, facilities services executive director, had identified $17,000 that could be cut from his building modification budget to support the school system's single-stream recycling program.

"We said we wanted to find money for two things -- recycling and diving," Crook told Keller.

To justify cutting diving, which appeared to single out the program, school officials said the sport is not sanctioned by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, while all other FCPS competitive sports are.

Diving proponents contested that. Coach John Smith and parent advocate David Wright said diving is considered an event at swim meets, as are different swim strokes and different race lengths.

Crook pointed to cheerleading to question the system's supposed standard of supporting only sports sanctioned by the athletic association.

Cheerleading is considered its own sport, and cheerleaders consider themselves athletes, Crook said. The school system spends $140,000 on the program, which is also not sanctioned by the athletic association.

At Wednesday night's meeting, schools Superintendent Linda Burgee said Ned Sparks, the association's executive director, confirmed that diving is considered an event within swimming.

She told board members they had many choices to free up some money to fund the diving program. She encouraged them to look again for cuts within three tiers of areas previously identified.

School system officials had already voted to roll over an anticipated $1.9 million surplus from this year to next year's budget.

Burgee asked Keller if he could find an additional $20,000 in savings this year to fund next year's diving. Keller said he could.

After discussing many options, the board voted unanimously to take the money out of the account used to fund retiree benefits.

The board voted in two steps to restore diving. Not wanting to spend time finding money if members didn't want to restore diving, the board first unanimously passed a motion to revive diving, and then unanimously passed a motion regarding funding sources.

Also passed Wednesday were the school system's print and self-insurance funds and capital budget.

New additions to Carroll Manor and Walkersville Elementary schools are included in the $36.3 million capital budget, as well as planning funding for Lincoln and Oakdale Elementary additions and renovations.