MONROE - The Monroe school board voted unanimously Monday to approve an eight-school WIAA cooperative boys hockey team and an agreement for the 2018-19 season that will include newcomer Lena-Winslow High School.
Monroe already has a co-op team with six other schools, consisting of Argyle, New Glarus, Darlington, Dakota, Orangeville and Warren, but the co-op had to be renewed and submitted to the WIAA. The WIAA has changed from two-year hockey co-op renewal plans to one-year agreements.
There are 25 players on this year's Cheesemaker boys hockey co-op team, 12 of whom are from Monroe.
"It's not a situation where we want to stand in the way of anyone playing hockey," Monroe District Administrator Rick Waski said. "The belief is that those numbers will increase even further next year. If we get over 20 kids or close from Monroe, the board has another question of whether we want to co-op. Once you get to 17 or 18 kids, I think it's a viable conversation to have - do we want to go it alone?"
Waski said Monroe's participation numbers will need to be monitored in coming years.
"One of the things I have heard from some Monroe parents is there would be more playing time for my child if we didn't have a co-op with seven schools," Waski said.
He said if Monroe down the road had enough players to field its own hockey team without a co-op, some of the hockey players from other schools may open enroll to the district.
Waski said a hockey player attending high school in Illinois could pay about $7,000 in tuition to attend Monroe schools, which would be similar to a private school rate.
Monroe Activities Director Jeff Newcomer said the WIAA shifted to one-year co-op agreements because of some larger co-ops becoming even bigger, abusing the rule and becoming club teams.
Players on the Monroe boys hockey team were still charged $1,000 to play this year. Although there were more players, the team didn't have enough uniforms and had to order new ones, Newcomer said.
The school board also approved a renewal of the Rock County Fury girls hockey co-op with Beloit Memorial for 2018-19. The team next year will be a 10-team co-op with Beloit Memorial, Monroe, Beloit Turner, Clinton, Milton, Brodhead, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Albany and newcomers Orangeville and Lena-Winslow.
The three Monroe High School students on the girls hockey team are junior Cammi Ganshert, freshman Anika Einbeck and freshman Rebekah Rath.
Newcomer said Beloit Memorial pays all the costs of the hockey program up front and then divides up the costs based on the number of participants each school has on the team.
Newcomer said it cost $2,500 two years ago when Monroe had two players and $1,000 last year when it had one player.
Newcomer said he requests $1,000 from each participating students' family and the district eats some of the cost.
"I don't think it's fair to ask them to pay more than the boys," he said.
Monroe already has a co-op team with six other schools, consisting of Argyle, New Glarus, Darlington, Dakota, Orangeville and Warren, but the co-op had to be renewed and submitted to the WIAA. The WIAA has changed from two-year hockey co-op renewal plans to one-year agreements.
There are 25 players on this year's Cheesemaker boys hockey co-op team, 12 of whom are from Monroe.
"It's not a situation where we want to stand in the way of anyone playing hockey," Monroe District Administrator Rick Waski said. "The belief is that those numbers will increase even further next year. If we get over 20 kids or close from Monroe, the board has another question of whether we want to co-op. Once you get to 17 or 18 kids, I think it's a viable conversation to have - do we want to go it alone?"
Waski said Monroe's participation numbers will need to be monitored in coming years.
"One of the things I have heard from some Monroe parents is there would be more playing time for my child if we didn't have a co-op with seven schools," Waski said.
He said if Monroe down the road had enough players to field its own hockey team without a co-op, some of the hockey players from other schools may open enroll to the district.
Waski said a hockey player attending high school in Illinois could pay about $7,000 in tuition to attend Monroe schools, which would be similar to a private school rate.
Monroe Activities Director Jeff Newcomer said the WIAA shifted to one-year co-op agreements because of some larger co-ops becoming even bigger, abusing the rule and becoming club teams.
Players on the Monroe boys hockey team were still charged $1,000 to play this year. Although there were more players, the team didn't have enough uniforms and had to order new ones, Newcomer said.
The school board also approved a renewal of the Rock County Fury girls hockey co-op with Beloit Memorial for 2018-19. The team next year will be a 10-team co-op with Beloit Memorial, Monroe, Beloit Turner, Clinton, Milton, Brodhead, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Albany and newcomers Orangeville and Lena-Winslow.
The three Monroe High School students on the girls hockey team are junior Cammi Ganshert, freshman Anika Einbeck and freshman Rebekah Rath.
Newcomer said Beloit Memorial pays all the costs of the hockey program up front and then divides up the costs based on the number of participants each school has on the team.
Newcomer said it cost $2,500 two years ago when Monroe had two players and $1,000 last year when it had one player.
Newcomer said he requests $1,000 from each participating students' family and the district eats some of the cost.
"I don't think it's fair to ask them to pay more than the boys," he said.
