Ironwood approves golf team on trial basis

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Ironwood — The Ironwood Area Schools has a golf team again, at least for this upcoming season, after the district’s board of education approved restarting the golf team on a one year trial basis Monday.

The vote to restart the team passed by a vote of 4 to 3, with board President Steve Thomas, Marilyn Nezworski and LeRoy Johnson voting no.

Athletic Director Gordon Erickson advised against restarting the team, saying the district couldn’t financially support another team and the district’s spring sports schedule was already crowded enough.

“It would lead to undue economic stress and it would lead to stress on the existing sports right now,” Erickson said.

He added he would love to have a golf team but there were restrictions that didn’t make it feasible.

“I’d love to have all the sports we could possibly have, (but) we don’t have enough students. Someone has to stay home,” he said.

The team is being brought back after several years of being inactive at the request of a group of parents and students interested in competing this spring.

Several of those parents and students were at Monday’s meeting.

Michelle Trier — who said she was there as a parent and not a teacher with the district — said golf has many benefits for those who compete, including another opportunity to pursue college athletics.

The supporters said they have a definitive 10 kids interested in golfing in the spring, double the minimum to form a team. While several of those students play other spring sports, Trier said the school’s team sports would take priority over golf if there were scheduling conflicts.

“If there’s baseball practice and golf practice, they go to baseball practice,” she said.

She also said because there would be a volunteer coach, the cost to operate the team would be less and many of the other supplies were either left over from the last time the district had a team or could be acquired through donations and fundraising efforts.

Several people made clear the team wasn’t looking for financial assistance from the school, simply permission to be affiliated with the district.

Trier also argued a renewed golf team would be more viable, as there was now a potential feeder system through the Gogebic Country Club’s youth program.

While some board members expressed concern about the possible financial impact, the board ultimately decided the trial period would prevent the district from committing too much financially.

In other action:

—The board authorized seeking bids for low-sulfur diesel fuel.

—The board recognized October as Michigan’s Principal Month.

—Amanda Sprague approached the board about possible improvements and concerns with the district’s lunch program. No action was taken.

—Superintendent Tim Kolesar provided the board with the results of the district’s annual audit. Kolesar said the auditor submitted an unmodified audit with no findings, the best possible result. According to the information given to the board. The district ended the 2015-16 fiscal year with a fund balance of $209,149, a $50,449 increase from the previous year.

—The board renewed its contract with the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District for career and technical education classes.

—The board also approved extending Superintendent/Board Secretary Carolyn Mieloszyk’s contract for another two years.