PLAISTOW— About 20 parents packed the Timberlane Regional School Board meeting last night to ask for the reinstatement of the high school's two ski coaches.
Peter and Mary Beth Torosian's contracts were not renewed last week, according to parents who spoke at the meeting.
"It's basically ripping the lifeblood and heart and soul of the ski team," said Jake Lord, a parent from Atkinson.
Parents told the board the Torosians have coached the Timberlane Regional High School team for 12 years and are two of the most dedicated coaches they have known.
The couple were twice named Coaches of the Year by The Eagle-Tribune.
"The Torosians have never received a formal complaint about their coaching," Atkinson parent Estelle Halchak told the board.
Before leaving the meeting, Halchak handed the board a packet with a petition signed by more than 100 people asking to reinstate the couple, a list of the couple's accomplishments, a letter of support from Wildcat Mountain ski area, and a DVD made by ski team members.
Superintendent Richard La Salle said coaching positions are funded by one-year stipends that should not be considered permanent.
Stipend positions are considered opportunities to earn extra income in the district's contract with the teachers union, La Salle said.
The superintendent did not specifically address why the Torosians' contracts were not renewed. No board members spoke on the issue.
The ski team practices at Wildcat Mountain on Saturdays and twice a week at the Bradford ski area in Haverhill, Mass.
Lord said it is easy for Athletic Director Angelo Fantasia to let the Torosians go because the ski team does not practice at the school like other sports teams.
"We can't comprehend how they can be dismissed so unjustifiably," said Melissa Redman, a Plaistow parent.
Parents asked to be put on the School Board's next meeting agenda but the board did not respond to the request.
