By BRETT WHITLING
Clarion News writer
After several months of discussion and negotiating, Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District is preparing to sign a soccer co-op with Karns City.
During the last A-C Valley school board meeting, high school principal Bill Jordan said the two schools have come to a cooperative agreement on varsity boys’ and girls’ as well as a co-ed junior-high program.
The program will follow these guidelines and conditions:
Karns City is the host school and is responsible for all administrative procedures such as coaches, equipment, uniforms, transportation to games from the Karns City High School and any other administrative tasks related to operating their already existing program.
Karns City will use its name and school colors.
Karns City will be responsible for all program costs related to supporting the soccer program.
All practices will originate at the Karns City facility.
A-C Valley will be responsible for a $400 varsity, $200 junior-high per athlete fee paid to Karns City.
A-C Valley will be responsible for transportation to the Karns City High School for all practices and for departure to away matches.
The administration at Karns City states it will be nearly impossible for A-C Valley to provide a driver/coach due to the nature of the practices.
A-C Valley will be responsible for ensuring all athletes acquire the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletes Association physical examinations, insurance and concussion protocols.
Transportation
Jordan informed the school board a lot of Karns City student athletes who play soccer also play football.
Since football is Karns City’s main sport, the district schedules soccer practice around football practices.
That means boys’ varsity soccer practices can be as early as 3:30 p.m. or as late as 8 p.m. The schedule all depends on when football practice is and when the students can be ready for soccer practice.
“It doesn’t affect girls’ practice but boys’ practices would be very difficult,” Jordan said.
Since A-C Valley would be responsible for all transportation, Jordan said the district would need to create a local policy as to how transportation will function and who would be driving.
Karns City School District suggested to Jordan to tell parents they were responsible for transportation. Jordan believed it would only be fair to offer transportation since the district already offers transportation to Union for football.
“I feel like if we move forward with this agreement, in some way, we will be responsible for that transportation and not just rely on parents to drive students or for students to drive themselves,” said Jordan.
A-C Valley could hire a volunteer to drive students there; Jordan’s concern was the person’s schedule would have to be very flexible since there are three subsections of the soccer co-op and times for boys’ varsity will vary, sometimes day-to-day.
Board member Lena Southworth suggested to look for several drivers who can work together to figure out a rotating schedule. The situation would be similar to how the district used to manage transportation for baseball and softball.
Jordan said it could potentially work out but it would be difficult to set up and costly depending on if the drivers are paid or not.
Jordan also said while several students choose to participate in more than one fall sport at a time, they would not be able to if they are part of the soccer team as it would conflict too much with the schedule.
School board member Leah Rapp said participating in two fall sports is already very difficult.
Time frame
The girls’ portion of the program can happen at any time which means it could start at the beginning of next year’s soccer season.
But for the boys’ team, a co-op would change Karns City’s classification under PIAA guidelines and potentially stall the co-op until the 2020 season.
Jordan is still discussing terms with PIAA to find out if and how a co-op could begin next year for the boys’ team. He is under the assumption because A-C Valley has never had a soccer program, PIAA will probably not allow a co-op to happen until next year.
According to PIAA guidelines, co-ops which change a team’s classification, which is based on the size of the team, can only happen on odd years.
The school board did not make a decision on the co-op during the meeting but was likely to vote at the meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 3 located in the elementary school library.
Other news
- Kylene Callander was listed as a secondary social studies substitute teacher.
- Kristen Vensel was approved as a guest teacher.
- Heidi Hovis was hired as a nine-month 24-hours per week, heavy-duty custodian at a rate of $14.15 per hour. Upon completion of her 60-day probationary period, the hourly rate will be $15.15.
- Amanda Byler and Wanda Manculich were hired as part-time cafeteria workers; each at a rate of $13.50 per hour. Upon completion of her 60-day probationary period, the hourly rate for each will be $14.50.
- Devon Rottman and Stephanie Master were approved as volunteers with the A-C Valley Parent Teacher Organization.
- Stacey Orrvick was retroactively approved as a long-term substitute nurse beginning Aug. 27.
- Joshua Kahle was hired as junior-high boys’ basketball coach upon receipt of all appropriate documentation at a supplemental salary of $1,667.
- Crystal Long was hired as a child specific aide upon receipt of all appropriate documentation at a rate of $10.67 per hour. Upon completion of her 60-day probationary period, the hourly rate will be $11.67.