by David Hill
Editor

Several School District 564 residents and students appeared before the Board of Education via Zoom Monday night to voice their concerns about a proposal to drop the boys swim team from the roster of activities offered by the District.

The proposal to drop the activity, which came from the Finance Committee, was announced at a Feb. 8 meeting of the Board of Education.

Carmen Collins encouraged the Board of Education to ask further questions before voting to destroy a single program. Collins is the mother of a seventh grade swimmer, who also spoke out in a letter. The seventh grader said he immediately felt a part of the team when he joined. He said he’s been working hard and improving, adding that it helps him with his school work.

A 10th grade student, Drew Casavan, who is one of the team captains, said the news they were proposing to drop the team caught him completely off-guard. He indicated that it cuts deep because this is his main sport and he is passionate about it. He also said dropping the activity would amount to taking opportunities away from students.

Coby Skjerven said the team has become a place where students who don’t feel welcome or accepted in other activities are accepted. Being a part of this team, he said, has given him a sense of self-worth he hasn’t found on other teams, and he can’t imagine being on a team that has this type of bond.

Becky Smith, the mother of three boys who have been on the team, and hopefully a fourth boy, said the Board should be here for the children. And, with enrollment numbers down, she said, it’s important to offer opportunities not cut programs.

Danielle Spiten, head coach of the team, said she didn’t envy the position of Board members. She said that as a teacher and coach she knows this is not easy. But, she spoke on behalf of her swimmers, saying their commitment to team culture is evident.

Spiten also noted that the boys swim program is a community of really unique kids. She said they work hard and have found a place on the team. She also noted this is the only non-contact sport available in the winter. She asked the Board to please come up with a different solution.

Other speakers included Brent Smith, parent; Molly Halsa, a 2020 high school graduate who managed the boys team for three years and swam on the girls team; Fritz Koppenhaver, senior captain of the team; Jordan Michaels, former swim coach; and Alyce Huot, 2016 graduate and former manager of the boys team, and member of the girls team.

The Board of Education had their own questions.

Misty Hempel asked whether the budget goal was reviewed with the thought of evenly distributing the cut between all activities or a percentage of their budgets.

Mike Biermaier, activities director for the District, said that has been an approach taken four of the last five times they’ve been asked to cut the budget. When looking at the line items, however, he said they are at the point that such a cut would amount to about 50 percent of an activity, making it non-viable.

Mike Spears asked if boys would be allowed to swim on the girls team.

Biermaier said the Minnesota State High School League rules allow girls to participate in boys activities, but not boys in female sports.

Craig Mattson asked about adding skating and dance to balance out Title IX concerns.

Biermaier said to include those activities, they would have to be fully adopted by the District.

Ryan Walseth asked how Thief River Falls’ activity fees compare to other similar-sized Districts.
Biermaier said the last user fee increase in the District ocurred in 2013-14. It’s $80 per athlete at the middle school, and $120 at the high school. The fee for hockey is $150. In northwest Minnesota, that makes this District’s activity fees one of the highest if not the highest. Even when compared to similar-sized schools, the District’s fees start matching fees of other schools as they get closer to the St. Cloud area.

Michelle Westerman asked what about fundraising for the program.

Biermaier said they’ve discussed that. It sounds like a great idea, he said, but the problem is that history shows they would just be prolonging the decision that has to be made. Some colleges have built up endowments, he said, but doing so for this program would require an endowment in the neighborhood of $250,000.

Westerman also asked about working with other Districts to provide the opportunity to students, but Biermaier said the closest districts offering a boys swim program are in Bemidji and Detroit Lakes.

No decision was made Monday night. The matter is next expected to be taken up by the Board of Education at its March 8 meeting.