The Butler School District isn’t an athletic recruiting agency and, thus, should have rejected participation in a student’s appeal of a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) rule that prohibits him from playing lacrosse here.

That doesn’t mean that the rule is fair and beyond challenge. But it’s the student, his parents and his supporters who should challenge the rule — in court, if necessary — and pay any costs associated with the appeal. The Butler School Board should do no more than voice support for the student’s effort, if it chooses to do so. The student, who attends St. Joseph’s High School in Natrona Heights, lives in the Butler district.

Instead, the board has voted to allocate up to $2,500 for legal fees connected with the appeal — a financial speck within the district’s proposed $97.4 million 2013-14 budget, but nonetheless money that could be better spent.

By choosing to attend St. Joseph’s, Jacob Surkosky and his parents had to have known his involvement with the local district would be limited or impossible, scholastically as well as in the realm of athletics.

That Jacob’s choice now, under WPIAL rules, prohibits him from playing lacrosse at Butler — St. Joseph’s has no lacrosse team — is an issue that should be dealt with personally, not consuming time and financial resources of the Butler district.

If he wants to pursue the issue beyond the WPIAL, to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and, if unsuccessful there, to the courts, that’s his prerogative.

Members of the Butler lacrosse program have expressed support for Surkosky’s efforts.

There is a possible window for Surkosky and his parents to pursue an appeal. WPIAL rules say only contiguous schools may have cooperative agreements such as the one that would involve Surkosky.

But in Surkosky’s case, no contiguous district offers WPIAL lacrosse, and there is a legitimate issue whether Surkosky’s lacrosse skills should go to waste because of a WPIAL rule that apparently doesn’t take into account special circumstances.

His parents also pay taxes to the Butler district.

WPIAL leaders should revisit the league rule.

But, that said, the Butler School District should remain on the sidelines. The school board should reverse its decision to participate in the Surkosky appeal and rescind the decision to spend district taxpayers’ money for a challenge that really isn’t in the school district’s best financial interests, even though the proposed sum of money is small.

Early calculations for the proposed 2013-14 budget have shown a $6.7 million deficit. Amid that, the school board is contemplating as much as a 2.1-mill property tax increase.

All that considered, the school board can’t justify any expenditure that really isn’t necessary for the district’s operational well-being.

— J.R.K.