Board allows sixth-grade boys to join junior-high baseball roster for 2025–26 with conditions

The Effingham Unit 40 School Board voted to allow sixth-grade boys to participate in the junior-high baseball program for the 2025–26 school year because the district reported low seventh- and eighth-grade numbers. District athletics staff and board members discussed concerns about sixth graders playing ahead of older players and the impact on program development. A district representative said he would not allow a sixth grader to replace a seventh or eighth grader on the roster and warned that if sixth graders were used to the detriment of older players he might seek further administrative action. "I do not feel the sixth graders could be playing over a seventh or eighth grader," the presenter said, describing the importance of building the program from the bottom up. The district said the immediate issue was roster size: if the seventh/eighth-grade roster fell below competitive levels, coaches might carry 10–12 sixth graders as a temporary measure so the team could travel. The district also said many sixth graders participate in other programs (JFL, cross country) and that the plan effectively creates a "B" team for development. Formal action: Board member Chad Thompson moved to approve sixth-grade boys participating in the junior-high baseball program for the 2025–26 school year due to low numbers on the current seventh/eighth-grade roster; Board member Andrew Altman seconded. The board approved the motion by roll call. Board direction: District staff will oversee the arrangement, set clear expectations for playing time so sixth graders do not supplant older players, and reassess participation next year.