PULASKI (NBC 26) — The Pulaski Community School District's board of education voted unanimously Wednesday night to reinstate boys and girls lacrosse as a sanctioned high school sport, reversing a June decision to cancel the upcoming season.
The reversal came at a special meeting, following an hour-long discussion in which district parents, players and coaches pushed back against the cancellation.
June 17, the board unanimously decided to pull boys and girls lacrosse from WIAA membership at the high school level. Parents and coaches called the vote a hidden agenda item.
Board members said at the June 17 meeting that moving lacrosse from club to sanctioned status had caused code of conduct issues with high school players. District leaders also cited low enrollment in the sport and a lack of district resources as reasons not to renew the teams' WIAA contract.
"We saw it implode a little bit," board president Jennifer Schwarz told families Wednesday. Schwarz said the sport needed a "reset."
Parents and players pleaded for a second chance at Wednesday's meeting.
"Please don't let lacrosse end in middle school," one speaker asked the board. A student speaker added, "Lacrosse is a big part of my future."
Rising seniors mentioned their interest in collegiate lacrosse and noted that without sanctioned status, they wouldn't be scouted.
The meeting ended with a unanimous vote by the board to reverse the cancellation—but not without some provisions.
Watch the full story by Jessica Goska here:
New guidelines agreed to Wednesday by the lacrosse coaches and district leadership establish expectation for regular communication between the parties. The provisions also call for a yearly performance review of the boys and girls teams.
Everett Just, a senior on the boys team, said the new rules are a welcomed change.
"I really hope it [Pulaski lacrosse] becomes something big. I think there's a very bright future to this program," Just stated.
Superintendent Allison Space declined an interview request but shared a statement prior to Wednesday's meeting: "Our current focus is on listening to and working with the program's leaders to explore future opportunities for students," Space wrote. "We want to ensure those conversations are thoughtful and productive."
