Beatrice Public Schools to consider baseball co-op after outreach from Dylan O'Dell

Beatrice Public Schools staff told the board they were contacted by Dylan O'Dell about forming an interdistrict baseball cooperative, a move staff said would provide playing opportunities for students from a district that currently lacks a youth or high‑school baseball program. Unidentified Speaker 5, a district staff member, told the board the district has held a parent meeting and discussed logistics, and that parents and coaches expressed no objections.

Staff described the financial arrangement: total costs are divided among participating schools based on the number of students each district contributes, and district leaders said they already use that billing method for other cooperative sports such as girls wrestling with Freeman and swimming co‑ops with Norris, Fairbury and Freeman. Staff also noted the district would assemble a reserve schedule only if enough players enroll and that the proposed co‑op would not change the school’s classification.

"I think the co op would be a good thing," Unidentified Speaker 5 said, describing the district’s experience co‑opting other sports and the familiarity of coaches and families with the approach. Board members asked about numbers and timing; staff replied the co‑op would begin next school year if the board approves. The item will be placed on the board’s April agenda for formal consideration and potential approval.