Board approves WIAA boys volleyball cooperative sponsorship with neighboring districts

The McFarland School District board voted Sept. 15 to approve a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association cooperative sponsorship that will allow a boys volleyball program to operate across multiple districts. The cooperation includes McFarland, Monona Grove, Oregon and Deerfield and will run for two years before being reassessed. Administrators said the Spartan volleyball organization and district athletic staff have worked quickly to organize the cooperative after sustained student interest. The district will serve as the lead school and fiscal agent, while program operating costs are expected to be covered by fundraising and participant fees rather than district general funds. An administrator described the coalition as the only practicable way to start the sport in the area without placing new recurring costs on the district. “This would be the request in front of the board is for us to to enter a cooperative agreement with 4, 4 total districts, us and Monona Grove, Oregon, and Deerfield,” an administrator said during the meeting. Board members praised local volunteers and staff for organizing the program and noted the club has competed against a range of opponents, including some varsity teams. The motion to approve the cooperative team sponsorship was moved, seconded and carried with no recorded opposition. The athletic director and administrators will track participation and revisit the agreement at the end of the two-year term to determine whether the sport can be sustained or grown locally.