Cowden-Herrick, Beecher City to Revisit Sports Consolidation

The possibility of the Cowden-Herrick and Beecher City school districts consolidating in all sports is back on the burner.

When the issue was discussed previously, Cowden-Herrick wanted a new mascot and new colors for the consolidated sports teams, while Beecher City wanted to have the home teams continue using the existing colors and existing nicknames.

Now, Beecher City Superintendent Scott Cameron has contacted Cowden-Herrick Superintendent Darrell Gordon about revisiting the issue. The timing is good for Beecher City, in that they are planning to replace their gym floor as part of a major renovation project this summer at their junior-senior high school building. If the colors and mascots were to be changed, this would be the time.

Gordon said he and Cameron hope to sit down with their school board presidents to discuss the matter. The districts already co-op in several sports.

Meanwhile, Cowden-Herrick is looking for a new junior-senior high school principal. The Cowden-Herrick board has voted to reassign Jerry Phillips to teacher status and then, since no teaching position is available, to RIF him. Gordon, who did not discuss the reasons for the moves since it is a personnel matter, said the Board would likely vote at their next meeting to release Phillips. In the meantime, the search for a new principal is underway.

In other business, the Cowden-Herrick re-hired Tina Oldham as elementary school principal; approved next year's school calendar with August 17 as a teacher's institute and August 18 as the first date for student attendance; accepted the resignation of Andy Nohren as junior high boys basketball coach as he will take over the cross country coach's duties; and accepted the resignation of School Psychologist Amy Miller, who also resigned her duties at Dieterich schools to take another position. Gordon said he and Dieterich Superintendent Cary Jackson are working together to hire a replacement.