West Windsor is moving forward with combined team

The West WindsorPlainsboro school district intends to move forward with a plan to combined the High School North and South football teams for the 2018 season, superintendent Dr. David Aderhold said in a letter to the community.

The district was forced to drop the North program for the 2017 season due to low numbers after multiple attempts to merge the two programs failed.

While North only played a junior varsity schedule, the district pushed for legislation to change NJSIAA bylaws and allow bigger schools to merge in the case of low player turnout.

Aderhold and the district was successful in getting the state’s governing body to change it bylaw on cooperative sports programs. Under the new bylaw, co-ops may exist in football for Group III, IV and V under the following conditions:

A. Teams agree to forgo any divisional championship and/or state tournament competition.

B. Any school playing against a cooperative football team pursuant to Section 10.B.10 shall be considered the winner of the game for the purposes of the determination of a post-season playoff berth.

C. The cooperative agreement should be examined every two years (exemptions should coincide with the two-year scheduling cycle).

D. Co-op teams may be eligible for a regional crossover game.

“... Based upon the feedback and the data, I will be recommending that the Board of Education adopt a resolution that allows WW-P to enter into a Cooperative Agreements and HSN and HSS will play as one program during the Fall 2018 and Fall 2019 seasons,” Aderhold wrote.

The district surveyed 119 people between the two high schools, according to the data Aderhold attached to his letter. Fifty-eight percent voted in favor of merging the programs. Although the student-athletes surveyed voted against a merger (22-31), The coaches (52) and parents (42-17) were in favor of a combined team.

Aderhold also noted that the decision impacts other of the program, including cheerleaders and marching band.

“We are committed to working with all parties to ensure that continued excellence and programmatic experience,” he wrote. “I am confident that we will navigate the path to a merged program successfully.”