Windsor High to add girls flag football team; board approves formation

Windsor — The Windsor Unified School District board unanimously approved a proposal Wednesday to add a girls flag football program at Windsor High School for the coming school year.

Athletics staff and a student organizer described growing interest among students and cited the sport’s rapid expansion across the North Coast Section (NCS). The board authorized the district to establish the team, with district staff noting initial start‑up costs should be modest and mostly limited to coaching stipends. Fundraising and community donors were identified as likely sources for equipment and extra costs.

Jamie Williams, who presented the proposal, said CIF and neighboring schools already field varsity and JV girls flag teams in the North Bay League; Windsor would become the fourth league program and could play a league schedule. The board discussed logistics — season timing (fall), potential scheduling with boys contact football for field use, and roster sizes (7‑on‑7 play) — and favored flexibility for moving players between development and varsity levels so students can gain playing time.

Mallory Klein, a Windsor High freshman who helped organize student interest and the initial surveys, told trustees she had played flag in middle school and helped survey peers to show demand.

Before the vote district staff said the coaching stipend placement and final language must be accommodated in the collective‑bargaining contract; district staff said the authorization is contingent on negotiating stipend placement and adhering to contract terms. The motion passed with a unanimous vote of the board and the student trustees.

Ending: Administrators said athletics and site staff will refine the schedule, post coaching stipends pending contract language, and return to the board with program details as they are finalized.