The District 742 School Board voted to approve a cooperative boys swim and dive program combining Apollo and Tech athletes to maintain competitive opportunities and student access.
Assistant Superintendent Jason Harris and activities staff explained both schools had single‑digit participant counts in recent seasons, leaving each unable to reliably field competitive teams. “When you look at our why, back to our tech and Apollo, less than 10 participants on either side of town,” Harris said during the presentation.
The district had obtained approval from the conference and MSHSL section administrators before bringing the co‑op to the board. Directors said they also proactively asked Cathedral, Becker and Rocori whether those districts wished to remain associated with the co‑op; all three indicated they would continue participation pending the board’s vote.
Next steps the administration listed: conduct a full interview process to hire a head coach for the merged program; finalize practice facility scheduling and balance use between Apollo and Tech; develop a competition schedule; pursue MSHSL co‑op approval; and implement a middle‑level spring swim program to build a feeder pipeline. The district also plans to add livestream cameras in each pool to increase exposure.
The board motion to approve the co‑op was moved by Al Dahlgren and seconded by another board member. A roll‑call vote approved the motion unanimously.
Why it matters: Low participation threatened the continuity of both programs; the co‑op is the district’s chosen path to preserve student access to competitive swimming while planning investments to grow the feeder system.
Implementation notes: District staff said the co‑op can be dissolved if future numbers support stand‑alone teams; the schedule will attempt to balance practice locations and provide consistent access for families.