Board removes program list from athletics policy, updates facility‑use procedure with grace period

Warren Township High School District 121 trustees voted to revise board policy 7:300 (extracurricular athletics) to remove a hard‑coded list of specific athletic programs and instead maintain program listings in the district handbook. Administration argued the change prevents the board from being bound to annually changing program offerings and allows the athletic office to manage program lists operationally.

Superintendent Dr. Wiesman explained the intent: removing the list from policy avoids requiring board action when local programs change from year to year. Administration acknowledged this change would alter how some outside programs (for example, the community‑run hockey program) are recognized: programs removed from policy would no longer receive formal district recognitions such as yearbook inclusion or certain district acknowledgments, and the district would treat those programs as renters for facility use going forward.

To limit immediate effects, administrators proposed and the board approved language to make the companion administrative procedure (8:90) effective for facility rentals scheduled on or after 07/01/2026. Administration said that approach preserves the current year’s scheduled rentals and recognitions while allowing the new rental fee structure and recognition rules to apply to future agreements. Board members discussed the possibility of a one‑year grandfathering of recognitions (yearbook inclusion, PE waiver timing) and administration suggested continuing recognitions for one additional year to avoid disrupting students already registered.

The board approved both the policy change and the revised administrative procedure on roll call votes.