Wrestling merger in jeopardy?

You are currently viewing Wrestling merger in jeopardy?

By Dan King

The Whitehall/Fort Ann school wrestling merger could be in jeopardy.

Whitehall’s Board of Education voted last week to table any decision on continuing the merged program, even though the Fort Ann Board of Education had already voted in favor of continuing the merger.

Whitehall board member Frank Barber said he believed Fort Ann was not paying its fair share for the program, which has been merged for the past three seasons.

“I still don’t think the finances are equitable,” Barber said. “That’s not a merged program, it’s a Fort Ann program subsidized on the backs of our taxpayers.”

Barber asked Whitehall Athletic Director Keith Redmond to ask Fort Ann school officials if they would consider splitting the costs more evenly.

Currently, the two schools split the costs of transportation and any tournaments. However, each school pays for their own coach – with Whitehall’s having decades of experience, he is paid a greater salary than Fort Ann pays its coach.

Barber said he would like to see the program be funded by Whitehall and then at the end of the year, split the cost down the middle between the two schools.

“I’m not opposed to the merger, but we’ve got to do it right,” Barber said.

On the flip side, board Vice President James Brooks said even the current program benefits Whitehall.

“We’re still making out as a district,” Brooks said. “We’re splitting transportation and paying for a coach we’d have to pay for anyway.”

Redmond added that if the merger were to end, Whitehall would have spent $3,000 on new “Whitehall/Fort Ann” singlets that could not be used if the program was no longer merged.

If the merger is to continue, Redmond needs to submit the paperwork to the state by Aug. 1. He told the board he would have the information members wanted, so the board could act at the June meeting.

Business manager Jodi Birch also said she would have all invoices from last year available for board members to help in the decision-making.
Last year’s team consisted of 16 Whitehall wrestlers and three Fort Ann wrestlers. Only one Fort Ann wrestler remains for this year.