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Tied to membership in Three Rivers Conference

Tomah Middle School may be forced to join the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association to maintain its membership in the Three Rivers Conference.

School District Activities Director Tom Curran told the Tomah School Board Thursday that ADs in the conference are prepared to require that all members also sustain membership in their respective state athletic associations. La Crescent is already a member of its Minnesota association, and the new rule would require Tomah, West Salem, Gale-Ettrick Trempealeau, Sparta and La Crosse Aquinas to join the WIAA.

La Crosse Logan, La Crosse Longfellow, La Crosse Lincoln, Onalaska, Westby, Viroqua, Winona and Holmen are WIAA members.

The issue doesn’t affect Tomah High School, which never dropped its WIAA membership.

Curran said losing conference affiliation at the middle school level would pose a huge problem for athletic programs in grades 6-8.

“It’s my belief that if we don’t become a member of the WIAA, our status as a member of the Three Rivers Conference would be in jeopardy, and that’s unfortunate,” Curran said. “Ninety-five percent of our scheduling is through the Three Rivers Conference.”

Joining the WIAA, however, would mean non-public school students could no longer compete on Tomah Middle School teams. Twelve students from parochial schools and three home-school students competed on TMS sports teams last year. Students from St. Mary’s Catholic School, St. Paul Lutheran School and Tomah Baptist Academy could still compete for Tomah if their schools joined the WIAA at the middle school level (annual dues are $50). However, the WIAA has no provision for home-school students to play for a public school team.

Tomah Middle School withdrew from the WIAA in the mid-90s over the issue of allowing non-public school students to play. Board member Mary Ellen Justinger said barring non-public school students requires a change in board policy, and she took exception to the prospect that the Three Rivers Conference would impose the change for the upcoming school year. She said it would be “inconsiderate” to implement the change in 2008-09.

Superintendent Bob Fasbender said it takes at least four months to change a board policy.

“I would hope, at a minimum, the discussion would not be for 2008-09 but for 2009-10,” Fasbender said.

Board President Dave Stutzman said Tomah would have little choice but to rejoin the WIAA.

“Essentially, if the Three Rivers Conference decides to move ahead with this and we don’t join (the WIAA), because of transportation we’re looking at an intramural program,” Stutzman said.