FREEMAN BOARD TO DISCUSS PHOENIX CO-OP IN SPECIAL SESSION

The Freeman School Board will hold a special meeting Wednesday night, April 2 beginning at 7 p.m. with two items on the agenda.

The first — which will be in closed session and not live-streamed — will be for “SDCL 1-25-2(4) Preparing for contract negotiations or negotiating with employees or employee,” according to the agenda posted on the school’s website.

The second — which will be live-streamed — is for the “school board (to) hold a discussion about a public meeting regarding the Phoenix Cooperative Agreement,” according to the agenda.

Wednesday’s special meeting follows the March 10 regular meeting of the Freeman School Board in which the board voted to continue the discussion regarding Marion’s request to expand the Phoenix football/softball cooperative, despite strong vocal opposition from board members Doug McCune and David Downs.

In light of that, Marion and Parker have put on the table a possible agreement that would introduce an all-sports cooperative between the two school districts beginning with most sports this coming fall; under the working agreement, football, softball and wrestling would begin in the fall of 2026.

This is a developing story.