At the Monday meeting of the Langford Area Board of Education, the group made a significant step regarding their football program. After a closed session, the board voted to enter talks with the Groton Area School District to create a football co-op. The vote to move ahead with co-op talks passed six to one with Bill Jensen voting no. All board members were present.
According to LA Superintendent Shad Storley, next steps will be discussions between administrators and school boards. “Just because we are going to have the conversation does not mean it’s a done deal,” emphasized Storley. “Both boards will have to agree on a plan and then we will have to apply to the South Dakota High School Activities Association.”
This move comes after a public meeting two weeks ago. At the meeting, it was noted that co-op agreements are usually for a minimum of four years, but an exception could be made if a six-man football division is established in the next years. Storley noted that they will share more information about the discussions with Groton as decisions are made.
In other business, after another closed session, the board voted on a reduction in force, deciding to cut the position of Tech Coordinator. This job is currently occupied by Ann Marie Hill. Storley explained that after this school year, that coordinator position will no longer exist in the district. He attributed the move to budget constraints.
As they have been the last several months, the board also reviewed and discussed policies. They made moves to adopt policies pertaining to public complaints about curriculum or instructional material and library materials. Storley said that they generated their policies on these matters from samples offered by the Association School Boards of South Dakota, with some tweaks. These policies will eventually be posted on the school website.
The next board meeting will be Thursday, March 7 at 6 p.m.
