Recent budget cuts made by the Florida Legislature affecting Miami-Dade County public schools are creating fear that public school participation in some high school sports could be eliminated next season to save money.

The subject was brought up for discussion at the county's school board meeting last month by Superintendent Rudy Crew. No specific sports were named, but the topic is expected to be brought up again at the board's next meeting Wednesday.

'All the superintendent said, and I'm paraphrasing, is that `everything is on the table' in terms of what sports could be discussed,'' said Quintin Taylor, the media relations specialist for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. ``He didn't specify any of them at the meeting.''

But Crew's comments have kept numerous coaches and parents of Dade public school athletes speculating which of their sports will be affected.

''It would be the worst thing you could possibly do to a high school athlete,'' Krop tennis coach Mike Kypriss said. ``Any organized sport or activity a kid has to do when he gets out of school at 2:30 every day is so important.''

Of the 14 sports sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association that Dade public schools participate in, swimming, water polo, tennis and golf are believed to be in the most jeopardy of being cut. Each sport has fewer athletes per team and high expenses to participate.

Swimming and water polo are more vulnerable because of the major issue that has affected each for years: The cost of renting facilities for events and practices.

The school board owns only one swimming pool, located at MAST Academy in Key Biscayne, and no public schools have competitive swimming pools on campus.

RENTAL FEES

Doral Academy swimming coach Cathy Silveira said she and other local swimming coaches have begun to petition the city of Miami for a reduction or removal of rental fees for teams to use city-owned pools for practice.

''It costs schools anywhere from $1,500 or more to use a facility,'' said Silveira, who also volunteers as an official at public school swim meets. 'If we could get the commissioners to subsidize some of the costs, it would be a huge help. But cutting the kids' chances to compete outright isn't the answer.''

Broward County public schools do not appear likely to be as affected as Dade because the majority have their own athletic facilities.

Damian Huttenhoff, the director of athletics and student activities for the Broward County Athletic Association, said the only cuts that have been made in the county are at the middle school level, mainly a reduction of funding by about $7,000 per school. But no sports have been cut outright, and he does not expect them to be in the near future.

''The good news is the high school programs haven't been cut,'' Huttenhoff said. 'The [school] board saw athletics as `a core component' of high school life, and that more people attend athletic events than any other educational programs.

``But is everything all through and done yet? No, because everything keeps changing, and every day you're reading worse news.''

Last month, Crew issued a memorandum to all Miami-Dade County public school employees in which he stated that ``budgets had already been reduced in all areas except full-time positions by $120 million.''

TRANSPORTATION

''It's hit us the hardest in our transportation and class coverage budgets,'' Greater Miami Athletic Conference executive secretary Cheryl Golden said. ``In sports like track and field, you often have at least two or three coaches per school.

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