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Board discusses MEC athletic conference expansion; April vote expected
Summary
Administrators told the SAVANNAH R-III Board they are in talks to expand the MEC conference with several schools; the board discussed travel logistics, East/West divisional models, and scheduled a vote at the April board-of-controls meeting.
District administrators told the SAVANNAH R-III Board that multiple schools have expressed interest in joining the MEC athletic conference, and that the district is exploring an East/West divisional model to keep football in a full conference schedule while dividing other sports.
Schools mentioned as expressing interest included Kirksville, Moberly, Marshall and Mexico; administrators also said Macon and Centralia recently appeared in discussions. Administrators said outreach is ongoing and that athletic directors have been open to scheduling accommodations (for example, playing distant games on Fridays or Saturdays to avoid weekday class disruptions).
“I am afraid that if this isn't a direction we go, then our conference will fall apart,” the district staff member said, describing consolidation pressures and the desire to strengthen the MEC.
Board members raised concerns about travel time for students and bus costs, questions about JV scheduling and freshman play, and interest in seeing mock schedules and enrollment breakdowns before an approval vote. Administrators said the proposal would be voted on at the board-of-controls meeting in April.
Why it matters: conference alignment affects student travel time, costs, and competitive balance for athletics and activities.
Next steps: administrators will provide additional enrollment figures and mock schedules and will present a formal recommendation at the April board-of-controls meeting for a vote.
