MONROE - Courting other schools for a Monroe High School boys WIAA hockey co-op can begin now that the Monroe school board has approved a plan to have a team on the ice for the 2012-13 season.
However, the school board's unanimous decision Monday night is contingent on an acceptable co-op agreement being approved.
Monroe School Board Vice President Bob Erb is a proponent of adding the 18th sport at the high school.
"We look at it as a win-win," Erb said of adding a hockey team. "It provides opportunities at no cost to the district."
When the plan was approved, one hockey supporter couldn't help but applaud the board's decision.
Rob Hodgson, the treasurer of the Forum Monroe Youth Hockey Association, which currently runs a club hockey program, first proposed a hockey team at Monroe High School in October. He has met with Monroe Athletic Director Dave Hirsbrunner and Monroe High School Principal Rick Waski since 2010.
The hockey association has explored co-op options with Albany, Brodhead, Darlington, New Glarus, Argyle, Pecatonica, Belleville and Lena-Winslow. The hockey association projects the program will cost about $36,000 and generate about $20,000 in income. The hockey association has pledged to raise $10,000 for the first year of the program.
The hockey association says it will pay for the ongoing program through fund-raising and a $992 player fee. The player fee for this year is $1,000.
Time is a concern for proponents of the plan. The school board would have to approve a hockey co-op and the WIAA would have to approve the plan by April 1 in order for Monroe to start a high school team for 2012-13.
Hodgson said the next step is working with other school districts and Hirsbrunner to get a co-op agreement approved.
Under the plan, MHS would work with the WIAA to get a co-op approved, take the lead in scheduling games, hiring coaches and officials. The MYHA would supply the facility - the StateLine Ice and Community Expo - and set fees and provide volunteers for the games.
Also Monday, Hirsbrunner gave the board an update on the fall sports season. Monroe's fall sports teams finished fifth on average in the Badger South Conference this year. Hirsbrunner said the Monroe boys cross country team was the highlight of the fall, winning a conference title for the sixth time in the last nine years.
Hirsbrunner said he also is working on coming up with a new logo for the high school. "We are open to suggestions from anyone," he said.
In other business:
- The board approved $23,023 in fall AV tech requests. The request includes five more Smart Boards that will bring the district's Smart Board total to 130.
- Honored Ann Prophett, a fifth-grade teacher at Abraham Lincoln Accelerated Learning Academy and Briana Cleary, a Northside Elementary School art teacher, for getting national teacher certifications.
- Honored Sheila Anfang with the Lamp of Learning Staff Excellence Award. Anfang is a kindergarten teacher at Abe Lincoln.
However, the school board's unanimous decision Monday night is contingent on an acceptable co-op agreement being approved.
Monroe School Board Vice President Bob Erb is a proponent of adding the 18th sport at the high school.
"We look at it as a win-win," Erb said of adding a hockey team. "It provides opportunities at no cost to the district."
When the plan was approved, one hockey supporter couldn't help but applaud the board's decision.
Rob Hodgson, the treasurer of the Forum Monroe Youth Hockey Association, which currently runs a club hockey program, first proposed a hockey team at Monroe High School in October. He has met with Monroe Athletic Director Dave Hirsbrunner and Monroe High School Principal Rick Waski since 2010.
The hockey association has explored co-op options with Albany, Brodhead, Darlington, New Glarus, Argyle, Pecatonica, Belleville and Lena-Winslow. The hockey association projects the program will cost about $36,000 and generate about $20,000 in income. The hockey association has pledged to raise $10,000 for the first year of the program.
The hockey association says it will pay for the ongoing program through fund-raising and a $992 player fee. The player fee for this year is $1,000.
Time is a concern for proponents of the plan. The school board would have to approve a hockey co-op and the WIAA would have to approve the plan by April 1 in order for Monroe to start a high school team for 2012-13.
Hodgson said the next step is working with other school districts and Hirsbrunner to get a co-op agreement approved.
Under the plan, MHS would work with the WIAA to get a co-op approved, take the lead in scheduling games, hiring coaches and officials. The MYHA would supply the facility - the StateLine Ice and Community Expo - and set fees and provide volunteers for the games.
Also Monday, Hirsbrunner gave the board an update on the fall sports season. Monroe's fall sports teams finished fifth on average in the Badger South Conference this year. Hirsbrunner said the Monroe boys cross country team was the highlight of the fall, winning a conference title for the sixth time in the last nine years.
Hirsbrunner said he also is working on coming up with a new logo for the high school. "We are open to suggestions from anyone," he said.
In other business:
- The board approved $23,023 in fall AV tech requests. The request includes five more Smart Boards that will bring the district's Smart Board total to 130.
- Honored Ann Prophett, a fifth-grade teacher at Abraham Lincoln Accelerated Learning Academy and Briana Cleary, a Northside Elementary School art teacher, for getting national teacher certifications.
- Honored Sheila Anfang with the Lamp of Learning Staff Excellence Award. Anfang is a kindergarten teacher at Abe Lincoln.