Parents and students press Barker board to add boys soccer; board agrees to explore for 2026–27

Parents, students and alumni urged the Barker Central School District Board of Education on Sept. 8 to add a boys fall soccer program or pursue a shared agreement with nearby Lyndonville, saying demand among middle- and high-school boys is strong.

At public comment Jennifer Mason and several parents argued that boys lack the fall-sport opportunities available to girls. Parent and teacher Paul DerSarkissian reviewed the district’s shifting sports participation since 2001 and warned the board to weigh program impact over time. Parent representative Danielle Lefever told the board her tally showed 24 boys listed soccer as their first-choice fall sport and characterized the absence of a boys team as an "equity gap." Student speakers Oliver Dergel and Parker Lefever described soccer as their preferred sport and said they lacked a fall option to represent Barker.

Athletic Director Mr. Mucha told the board he had recommended against starting a boys program previously to protect the overall health of the athletic program and said he would never make a decision "for personal benefit or at the expense of the students." Board members voiced respect for the athletic director’s judgment but were divided. Board President R. Atwater said community interest and petitions made him open to exploring a boys program for 2026–27; Superintendent Dr. Reimer said administration will conduct due diligence and work on shared-agreement options that could range from a one- to three-year partnership.

The board did not adopt a plan or a formal motion to add a team on Sept. 8; it gave direction to staff to return with analyses of shared-program logistics, projected participation, scheduling impacts and any budget implications ahead of decisions for 2026–27.