December 23, 2019
Garrison takes the air out of co-op with Max
By JILL DENNING GACKLE
It’s over.
No sharing of games, practices, team names and coaches.
Garrison School Board members voted 4-3 to dissolve the co-ops with Max School. A letter will be sent to the North Dakota High School Activities Association seeking dissolution of all shared sports: football, softball, baseball, track, cross country and volleyball.
Superintendent Nick Klemisch told the board that football may be co-oped in the fall because it is part of a two-year planning cycle. Softball may also need to be played until the spring of 2022, unless both boards agree to mutually dissolve the co-op.
It wasn’t an easy decision that took two votes to get there, but it’s been coming for months. Co-op meetings between the two schools took a turn this fall when Garrison issued a demand: full co-op of all sports that Garrison staffs and administers. Max board members came back with no action; they said they wanted to keep it the same – a 65/35 split with Garrison in all but basketball.
Klemisch repeatedly asked the board to decide based on, “What benefit is it (the co-op) to our kids?”
But he made strong arguments against the co-op based on the administrative challenges of the two schools sharing costs, transportation, hiring of coaches and oversight at co-op events.
No sharing of games, practices, team names and coaches.
Garrison School Board members voted 4-3 to dissolve the co-ops with Max School. A letter will be sent to the North Dakota High School Activities Association seeking dissolution of all shared sports: football, softball, baseball, track, cross country and volleyball.
Superintendent Nick Klemisch told the board that football may be co-oped in the fall because it is part of a two-year planning cycle. Softball may also need to be played until the spring of 2022, unless both boards agree to mutually dissolve the co-op.
It wasn’t an easy decision that took two votes to get there, but it’s been coming for months. Co-op meetings between the two schools took a turn this fall when Garrison issued a demand: full co-op of all sports that Garrison staffs and administers. Max board members came back with no action; they said they wanted to keep it the same – a 65/35 split with Garrison in all but basketball.
Klemisch repeatedly asked the board to decide based on, “What benefit is it (the co-op) to our kids?”
But he made strong arguments against the co-op based on the administrative challenges of the two schools sharing costs, transportation, hiring of coaches and oversight at co-op events.
