Garrett County schools approve winter high‑school swim program; no district transportation initially
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Summary
The board voted unanimously Sept. 9 to adopt a winter swimming program for grades 9–12 beginning in the 2025–26 school year; the program will not include district-provided transportation at start and will use CARC facilities per a memorandum.
The Garrett County Board of Education on Sept. 9 approved a motion to adopt a winter interscholastic swimming program for grades 9–12 beginning with the 2025–26 school year.
The school activities review and evaluation committee recommended starting the program after consulting with Frederick County and local partners. The committee’s summary said the program is a comparatively low‑cost opportunity to expand student athletics, that both Northern and Southern high schools would field teams, and that local facilities (the CARC, operated by the college) are available for practices and meets.
Key provisions discussed at the meeting and recorded in the committee memo include: no district transportation provided at program start (transportation is the largest cost driver), an expectation that the CARC will charge a use fee (committee discussion referenced a higher‑end CARC fee of $1,500), and that each school would be allocated one paid head coach on the district coaching pay scale with volunteer assistants allowed. The committee estimated the coaching cost on the higher end at $3,840 per year for the two‑coach arrangement described in the memo.
The board voted on a motion to adopt the program (motion made by Don; second by Rodney). The chair called the vote; members voiced “aye” and the motion passed unanimously. The superintendent recommended the adoption as a budget‑line item within extracurricular activity funds; the committee advised that the program would be low‑cost overall compared with other sports but that transportation would remain the responsibility of families initially.
Committee members and the superintendent noted competitive opportunities within the region — Frederick County schools, Morgantown and Somerset (Pa.) programs, and state championships scheduled for Feb. 21 at the University of Maryland, College Park. The committee estimated initial team sizes of roughly 6–8 athletes across both schools in the program’s first year but said parental involvement and the local Manta Rays club could raise participation.
The board recorded the action as approved; no roll‑call tally by name was read into the public minutes during the meeting beyond the unanimous voice vote.
