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Board weighs athletics co‑op options as Valley City moves away; volleyball and football viability questioned
Summary
Board and extracurricular committee discussed possible co‑ops after Maple River declined and Medina looks likely to dissolve its co‑op; officials reviewed enrollment projections, survey responses and logistics for volleyball, football and other programs.
Barnes County North board members and the extracurricular committee spent substantial time at the Sept. 18 meeting discussing potential athletic co‑op arrangements after neighboring districts signaled changes to existing partnerships.
The activities director told the board Maple River declined a co‑op request and that Medina appears likely to dissolve its current co‑op, prompting BCN to evaluate options for volleyball, basketball, track, baseball and football. The director described an online community survey with 109–198 responses in various stages of collection and urged the district to review projected rosters and adjusted enrollment before deciding.
"It's kind of a waiting game right now," the activities director said, noting the district has submitted preliminary projections but that the state's STARS adjusted enrollment data was not yet finalized. The director walked trustees through projected numbers: locally, 7–12 volleyball signups were around 21 at the time of the meeting, while a potential co‑op partner had survey projections that could increase a combined program to as many as 57 players through grade 12.
Board members raised practical concerns about facilities, equipment and costs. One trustee said the district should not enter a co‑op just to save a small amount: "We are not going to jump into a co‑op to save $500," the superintendent said, emphasizing the need for a longer‑term commitment if the district pursues shared programs. The activities director added, "If we're gonna do it, we wanna do it for the long haul."
Discussion touched on classification and reclassification timelines, the effect of free‑and‑reduced counts on adjusted enrollment that state officials use for classification, and emergency co‑op options that could be pursued as late as July next year if needed. Trustees also discussed junior‑high participation as a prerequisite for sustainable high‑school programs and the financial realities of starting or restarting a football program (field construction, equipment reconditioning and ongoing costs).
The board directed the extracurricular committee to continue surveying community members, refine projections, and report back once STARS enrollment and free‑and‑reduced data are finalized. No final co‑op agreement was approved at the meeting.
