By the narrowest of margins, the Suring School Board last week approved an agreement to partner with Gillett for baseball and softball for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
With a 4-3 vote March 12, the board approved a two-year co-op contract with the Gillett School District that is modeled after the districts’ wrestling cooperative.
“I just think it’s another opportunity for the kids,” said Suring School Board member Wayne Sleeter. “Suring’s never had baseball, and I think the kids are excited about it.”
Sleeter, Dennis Piepkorn, Cheryl Ustianowski and Mark Strehlow voted in favor of the agreement. Cathy Lundgren, Eugene School and Melissa Trepanier opposed it.
School said he opposed the agreement because of its financial impact.
According to the contract, the districts would split the costs 60/40, with Gillett paying the larger share. The estimated annual cost of each sport is $7,000.
“We have no money to begin with and are adding more programs and not knowing how we’re going to fund them,” School said.
Gillett baseball coach Pat Nelson said the co-op would help the team be more competitive.
“The more kids we can get out, the more competitive we can be, so I think it’s a win/win for both schools,” he said.
Gillett has 16 boys registered for baseball this season. Eight of them are seniors, and one is a freshman. Because of the low numbers, Gillett fields only a varsity team in both baseball and softball.
In a poll conducted at Suring School, 31 students indicated an interest in playing softball or baseball next season. With the addition of athletes from Suring, varsity and junior varsity teams could be assembled.
Now it’s the Gillett School Board’s turn to approve the agreement.
“I hope they do, because numbers-wise I don’t see that we’ll have enough to field a team otherwise” for 2015, Nelson said.
Gillett Superintendent Todd Carlson said the School Board’s co-op committee will discuss the contract and make a recommendation to the School Board in the coming months.
For the agreement to take effect for the 2014-15 school year, the districts will need to approve it before June 1 and forward it to officials of the Marinette & Oconto Conference for approval and then to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Suring proposed one change to the contract: Suring would host two softball and two baseball games each season. The draft agreement proposed by Gillett required all home games be played at the Orby Jones Family Sports Complex in Gillett.
“One of the things that’s really important to us is to have two home games, minimum, at Suring for baseball and softball,” Sleeter said.
The Suring School District has no softball or baseball facilities, and Superintendent Robert Ray said the district is unlikely to invest in them, given the high cost of developing a sports complex.
Sleeter is working with local businesses and municipalities to host games in the Suring area. Preliminary plans call for baseball games at the town of How field and softball games at the town of Breed or village of Suring field.
According to the amendment proposed by Suring, Gillett would not be responsible for costs associated with Suring’s facilities.
Nelson said he had no problem playing in the Suring area as long as fields meet WIAA standards.
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