The Kewanee School Board responded favorably Monday to a request from Wethersfield schools to co-op boys soccer.
Kewanee Supt. Rebecca Baney told the board that Wethersfield Supt. Dr. Andrew Brooks had sent a request for the two schools to join for boys soccer. Wethersfield does not have a soccer team now.
Baney said she prepared a list of possible responses to Brooks’ letter. One was to accept the request for the soccer co-op, another was to deny the request and one was to suggest that the two schools co-op all boys and girls sports.
Board members agreed that it was unlikely that Wethersfield would accept that last proposal, since it already co-ops with Annawan on several boys and girls sports.
The proposal that board members liked best was for Wethersfield to co-op with Kewanee not just on soccer but also on other programs offered at Kewanee but not at Wethersfield: Girls tennis and bowling, wrestling and competitive dance.
Board member Ron Salisbury said he had seen reports that school enrollments in Illinois are expected to continue to decline, at least for another 10 years ago.
The declining enrollments will make co-op arrangements among school districts even more important in the future, Salisbury said.
Also Monday:
— The board accepted the bid of $1,360,620 from Laverdiere Construction to build a tennis court on the former soccer practice field across Third Street from the high school.
Baney said the court will part of a sports complex that will include the new fitness court that will be built in the same area.
The new tennis court won’t be ready for this fall’s girls tennis season, she said. The school now holds its home tennis matches at Northeast Park.
— The board agreed to continue buying bus fuel from Cenex.
Bus drivers now drive to Hodge’s Cenex station on North Main Street to refuel.
Also bidding on providing bus fuel were Gold Star FS and River Valley Co-Op.
Gold Star had proposed installing a fuel tank on school property, something the district doesn’t have now.
But board members said it would be tough to pick out a location on the Kewanee High School campus that wouldn’t inconvenience people who come to the school for sporting events and other activities.
— Baney reported that federal funds have been allocated for Title 1 programs, which help students in the lower grades learn to read.
But federal funding for after-school programs are “in limbo,” she said, and it’s not known if those programs will still be supported by the federal government.
— The site has been prepared for two new boilers for Kewanee High School, and the boilers should be delivered and installed soon, Baney reported.
