During Monday's school board meeting, Butler administrators discussed the elephant on their football field: a losing record.

After back-to-back years without a win, officials with Butler Area School District brought up the Butler Golden Tornado football team's lack of success in recent years. Superintendent Brian White said he and other administrators were looking at ways to help the team right its course.

White offered assurance that the ideas being floated do not include replacing head coach Eric Christy, in whom he said he has full confidence.

He provided the board several statistical comparisons between Butler and other schools. He wondered if lower incomes in Butler contribute to the problem, possibly in lacking youth football programs to develop players at younger ages.

“It's interesting that the wealthier schools ended up in first place,” he said, looking at one spreadsheet.

White noted that at some games this year, Butler fielded just 24 kids to play against a team of 60 or 70.

“I fear we'll be talking about safety soon instead of being competitive,” White said.

Whether the solution comes from seeking a reclassification of the program or seeking ways to improve the pipeline of players from younger club teams to the Golden Tornadoes, White wasn't sure.

Two representatives of the Butler Area Midget Football League spoke up about youth programs in the area. They pointed out how their teams grow every year and win consistently, yet the benefits of that league seem to evaporate somehow when the kids make it to the high school teams, if they get there at all.

Playing football in Butler is also affordable, they said, because there's plenty of local support to dress out and equip players.

White said he'd continue working on ideas with athletics staff. The topic will return at future board meetings, he said.