Residents voice opinions on potential co-op with Osmond
RANDOLPH — A potential co-op with Osmond for some sports brought forth many questions and opinions. But the one thing everyone could agree on is they don’t envy the Randolph Public School Board which will ultimately decide the issue.
About a dozen people from the public came to listen and provide feedback on the potential co-op at Monday’s school board meeting. The meeting was held early so board members and administrators could attend the girls SubDistrict basketball game. Cody Backer attended via Zoom and was excused from any board member votes.
Osmond school officials were also on hand including the school board president, high school principal and superintendent.
Osmond pursued expanding their existing co-op with Wausa to include Junior High boys’ basketball which is their program that needs an additional participation boost to continue existing, Osmond Superintendent David Hamm said. The schools already co-op with some sports and also the one-act play competition.
But when Osmond officials visited with the Wausa School Board in September, Wausa indicated they needed time to think about another co-op. But for Osmond, time was of the essence, and they decided to move forward with asking other neighboring schools about a potential co-op.
Osmond school officials approached Randolph about a potential co-op last fall and the two boards and school administrators have been discussing it ever since. The co-op being considered applies to Junior High football and basketball, and high school basketball. If approved, the co-op would be in place for a minimum of two years.
At the meeting, Osmond officials indicated they were 100 percent invested in making the co-op work successfully with Randolph.
“There’s benefits and drawbacks both ways. It’s going to be a give and take between both towns,” said Jim Hixson.
Several people indicated they were concerned about having to change mascots and for players to lose their identities as Cardinals. Of course Osmond wants to remain Tigers as much as Randolph wants to remain Cardinals.
“I don’t want you to hurt the kids. I don’t want you to take the Cardinal pride or Osmond pride away from the kids. In my opinion, you’re going to hurt the kids by taking that pride . . . away from them,” Tom Harder said. “I do not see the purpose.”
Ryan Brodersen agreed saying, “These kids want to be Cardinals. It’s a bigger deal to those kids than what we give them credit for.”
But kids will always choose the opportunity to play over the mascot name, said Lucas Miller.
“They want to play. They want to participate. They want to be there. It’s not the name they’re playing for. If we can get out of the way to let kids play sports, be in activities, I think that’s more important. I don’t want to see the Cardinals go away or the Tigers go away but at the same point I want to give our kids as much opportunity we have to be competitive and not lose sports (programs) as we move forward.”
Miller said he grew up playing for the Coleridge Bulldogs and appreciated always having an opportunity to play.
“If you wanted to be in it, you were in it. Would you start? Maybe not. But you got to be on the team and you got to play. I don’t think its (the co-op) going to hurt the opportunities that we have here,” he said.
Competition is always a good thing, Miller said, and forces players to work harder.
“More numbers doesn’t necessarily mean you will compete better. Every season, every part of life, is not always a win. . . . Everything goes up and down,” Harder said, adding that he learned much more with losing seasons than winning seasons in his time as a small-town high school athlete.
Randolph’s girls basketball team was brought up as a good example of how low numbers can effect team morale. With only 12 players out for the sport, many are at a junior varsity level playing at a varsity level just out of sheer necessity. At one point - due to illness and injury - the team was down to six players or less. The girls were playing full games - 32 minutes - without being able to get a sub and take a rest during games.
“It’s not much fun for those girls who go out there every night I’m not blaming the girls. They go out and do the best they can. They’re figuring out and working together as a team,” said Coach Marcus Papenhausen.
With the co-op with Osmond, Randolph would move into the NSAA’s Class C2 division.
Brodersen - and others - suggested looking at more of a long-term co-op with all sports so a new identity could be formed and the two schools could forge longterm athletic programs and build a culture.
“If you’re going to put both of these schools together for everything, I can get behind that. All the way through, no cherry picking, put them together, make a plan long-term,” Brodersen said. “But if these kids could start playing with each other in seventh grade and they play all the way through, I can get behind it.”
No action will be taken on the Osmond co-op until the board meeting in April. Some administrators and board members headed to Osmond’s school board meeting Monday to talk about the co-op to residents there.
“It’s a hard decision and one where you’re not able to please everyone,” said Anthony Shearer.
At its meeting Monday, the school board also:
- Entered executive session to discuss Principal Brandi Bartels’ contract. Out of executive session, the board approved the contract.
- Approved a probationary teacher contract for Meaghan Vollers for 7-12 Science for the 2022-23.
- Changed the date and time for the next board meeting to March 21 at 8 p.m.
- Approved the 2022-23 school calendar.
- Heard a report from Bartels about past and upcoming student activities and recent achievement test results. Bartels distributed information about an app used for PE class, and the special education program.
- Heard a report from Elementary Principal Mary Miller about upcoming student activities. She distributed information on student council and activities in the third-grade class.
- Approved continued membership in the Nebraska Association of School Boards.
