BUTLER TWP — The Butler School Board on Wednesday tentatively approved $12,000 for new Sequinettes uniforms for the 2016-17 school year.

With Sequinette tryouts happening tonight, Jeff Kroner, band director, does not want the number of girls in the program to be limited by the number of uniforms the school has, which are already 11 years old.

The $12,000 cost is for roughly 80 uniforms, each uniform estimated to be about $150.

There are 48 girls in Sequinettes, 20 dancers and 28 flag girls. While there is a 49th member, the Golden Girl, she is responsible to pay for her own uniform.

This year, 60 girls are trying out to be on the flag team, with 34 girls auditioning to be dancers, Kroner said.

He wants to know that he can accept more girls into the program in the fall if the talent is there.

“If we have 24 girls who show (a certain) skill set, we will take 24 girls,” he said. “There are some girls who just do not have the skill set for what we’re asking them to do.”

Regardless of the talent available, Kroner said the flag team can only have 30 girls maximum, but there is more flexibility to add dancers with 24 girls being the typical number.

However, an excess of uniforms is needed since some years, there is a greater need for uniforms of one size or another, according to Kroner. The district should be outfitted “above and beyond” the expected number of Sequinettes, he said.

The new uniform was designed by adviser Sara McLafferty, a former Sequinette. Rather than the blue pants, the district plans to go back to the traditional white dress uniform for next year.

While the district implemented a pay-to-play policy for athletics this school year, participating in the band and Sequinettes does not have a fee since it is considered a cocurricular activity and students receive credit for the class, Kroner said.

He also is working on determining if corporate sponsorships would be a feasible way to decrease the total cost of buying new uniforms, but it is still early in the process, he said.

With the school board’s tentative approval of spending this money, Kroner said he will not need to limit how many girls can participate due to the number of uniforms.

Without new uniforms, “I’d have to cut girls who really want to and deserve to be in the band,” Kroner said.