By BRETT KRIEBEL
Clarion News writer
Athletics dominated the discussion during Clarion Area’s Oct. 8 school board meeting, with the board approving a track and field cooperative agreement between Clarion Area and North Clarion School District set to begin in the Spring of 2020.
The approval of the co-op between the districts comes a month after the board’s September session, when Clarion Area Superintendent Joe Carrico had reviewed possible actions the district could undertake in regard to its track and field program.
During September’s meeting, Carrico told the board and those on hand the district had spoken with officials from Clarion-Limestone, North Clarion and Clarion University in regards to potential future track program plans.
Ultimately, October’s meeting saw the Clarion Area board approve the scenario North Clarion had put forth. The motion to approve the agreement was carried by a six to one vote.
Board members Dave Estadt, Julie Hartley, Hugh Henry, Shane Kriebel, Julie McCormick and Braxton White voted for approval, with Zachary Shekell voting against.
Board vice president Melissa Anderson and member Todd Bauer were absent from the meeting.
According to Carrico, Clarion Area’s track program will essentially be absorbed into North Clarion’s program, similar to how the districts’ co-op for football operates.
All costs incurred by a team will be the responsibility of the host district in their respective sport.
Through the co-op, Clarion Area will only need to pay for the transportation of its track athletes to and from practices and meets, which will be held at North Clarion.
“We’re going to host football and not charge them, they’re going to host track and not charge us,” Carrico said. “I think they’re purely immersed in our football, we’re purely immersed in their track.”
According to a document attached to the meeting’s agenda, an estimated cost for transportation to and from practices at North Clarion High School totals $3,224. There are approximately 35 scheduled practices.
Additionally, the document states departure times for students will be established once transportation figures have been finalized. North Clarion is working on further details of the agreement.
Carrico explained the notion of entering into a co-op came after Clarion University asked the district to pay a $10,500 fee to rent Memorial Stadium’s track for program usage.
Eventually, CUP decreased their proposed fee to $5,000.
Carrico said the district had not been asked to pay for use of CUP’s track in previous years. It only paid for use of the football field. Carrico acknowledged since CUP owns the track, a request for payment to use the track was not unfair.
Still, the district looked into a co-op with C-L but according to Carrico, proposed costs were said to be “exorbitant.”
Negotiations with C-L included potential costs for Clarion Area ranging between $20,000 and $30,000. Those costs were dependent on several variables, such as C-L’s request that Clarion Area help to maintain future resurfacing of C-L’s track and maintenance of other facility equipment in the event an agreement was reached.
Carrico noted the decision to co-op with North Clarion is multi-faceted, and includes time being a factor. He said North Clarion, District nine and the PIAA also have to approve the agreement.
“I think what’s driving the decision for us tonight is it’s a process to get this approved,” said Carrico. “It’s not something we can wait until January or February to get approved.”
Carrico said a brief meeting with parents of students had taken place in the summer regarding a co-op, and he reiterated what he stated during that meeting.
“What we don’t want is our kids, staff, parents and community wondering and worrying about what’s going to happen and to have a mad rush if we do make that decision to move forward,” Carrico said. “I said if we’re going to make a decision, we should probably do that sooner than later. That gives us time to plan well.”
Members of the audience posed various questions about the co-op, including whether the decision accounted more so for the costs involved, or if the number of participants in the program was considered. The idea that having home meets at North Clarion could make it tougher for community members to attend the meets was also broached.
“Is there a concern that we could lose kids because we’re going to North Clarion? Sure,” Carrico said. Carrico pointed out North Clarion was also offering to include junior high athletes in the co-op, and said reasons for seeking the agreement were wide-ranging.
“I think it was just a combination of all those things,” Carrico said. “The increased costs, North Clarion being very facilitative. Our numbers kind of dipping a little bit. It was more of a global conversation around it. I don’t know if there was any one specific thing that drove that conversation.”
Board president Hugh Henry remarked that while the board was voting on the agreement that evening, discussions leading up to the vote were open to the public during the previous week’s work session.
Henry mentioned the board was forward looking in its approach towards the agreement.
“This is a strong number, but what if the next year or the year after it’s not strong.” Henry said relating to participation numbers. “We have to have a plan in place three and five years down the road. Obviously we’re going to be looking at some of the other activities we provide as far as athletics because if we don’t have enough numbers to take the field safely, how do we have that program?
“It’s not fair to the kids that want to participate. If they can’t sell it to their peers to develop a bigger team, what do we do? These co-ops help us out.”
Carrico acknowledged the validity of the questions, and said the logistics of the agreement would be worked out. The superintendent also said the questions also support the notion that the sooner the agreement were signed, the better.
“There’s just a lot of questions that folks have that you simply can’t get answered in one conversation,” Carrico explained. “We would certainly have to be committed to this process.”
Board treasurer Julie Hartley said she has received positive feedback when it comes to a co-op from parents of students who say their child is now actually more inclined to join the program.
Football co-op
The board approved amendments to the junior high football co-op agreement in place between Clarion Area and C-L.
The amendment document will alter costs associated with the program, changing them from a per athlete basis fee to a flat rate of $7,500 per season. The rate will remain in effect for three years and end with the 2021 season, at which time the cost will be reviewed.
The payment of the flat rate is set to take pace by the end of the first week of PIAA mandated practices.
The term of the original junior high co-op agreement was also approved for amendment. The term now extends to the 2024 season, which aligns it with the term of the varsity co-op.