Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton WCSD board member Stephanie Snell, left, speaks during the debate on whether to reinstate Sheffield’s girls basketball program. The board rejected that request in a 5-4 vote.

The Warren County School Board rejected a request to reinstate the Sheffield girls basketball program.

After months of debate, a motion to reinstate was defeated 5-4 on Monday night.

Declining numbers forced a co-op between Sheffield and Warren Area High School for girls basketball back in Nov. 2021.

Arguments in recent months have centered on strong numbers in Sheffield and the opportunity for students with reinstatement, coupled with logistical and economic challenges that playing in Warren can bring.

On the flip side, classification issues stand to impact Warren while one of the players co-oping in Warren told the board at a previous meeting that she wouldn’t be returning to play at Sheffield, even if that meant forgoing the ability to participate in postseason play.

Several board members offered additional comments on the issue before the vote was held Monday.

Stephanie Snell called Warren a “great program.

“One of the misconceptions is that it’s just ‘Sheffield doesn’t want to play with Warren,’ which is not the case,” she said. “The big part is the logistics.”

Snell said that Sheffield has “one of the highest poverty rates in Warren County” and that some families will have to decide whether to put gas in their car for work or basketball if there’s no program at Sheffield.

She said the transportation to Warren is “not feasible for most of the families in Sheffield.”

Board member John Wortman said he would be voting against the reinstatement for four reasons, citing the classification issue for Warren, increased costs and the “incredible season” the Lady Dragons just wrapped up.

He was particularly critical of the board’s decision that “is going to force our students to decide between remaining part of a successful basketball program and transferring schools.”

He called it “unconscionable” to put students in that position.

He then launched into a broader criticism of the structure of the district and where money should be spent.

“All of our available finances should be directed to academics,” Wortman said, “instead of athletes and mascots.

“The underlying issue poses an existential threat to the Warren County School District,” he claimed. “The time has long passed for our district to focus on reversing academic decline” versus protecting a four high school structure.

He said board members need to focus on what is in the best interest of students instead of worrying about the next election.

“Each time efforts have been made to put education first, the gerrymandered board structure has led to the defeat of reform,” Wortman argued. “I will not vote to raise taxes to protect the configuration catastrophe.”

He said he would not vote for a budget that supports four high schools.

“Each of us is required to do what is in the best interest of all students,” he said, “instead of one particular faction.”

Shifting back to the question at hand, Mary Passinger acknowledged that she can see both sides of the question.

“I’ve gone over and over it,” she said. “When we did the sports committee a few years ago, we listened. I listened. Everyone agreed that something had to be done in the field of athletics, only not at their school. And we left that committee with virtually nothing done because nobody wanted to give anything up and there was nowhere else to go.”

Passinger said reinstating the program would tell Sheffield students in 2021 that they had to go play basketball in Warren and then be punished now by not being allowed to play in the playoffs if they wanted to stay in that program.

“I understand Sheffield wanting their program back,” she said, suggesting the discussion could be revisited in 18 months when the next PIAA classification window opens.

“I cannot punish someone,” she stressed, “for doing what we told them they had to do.”

Daniel Sullivan said he agreed with what was said but raised the concern that “kids are going to be left out in other programs because they won’t be able to participate.”

“We can’t supply transportation, that’s been made clear,” Tammi Holden added. “At the same time you have nots are only going to have less and that’s a tragedy.”

The motion to reinstate the program failed 5-4.

Savanna Cochran, Holden, Snell and Sullivan voted in favor while members voting against included Cody Brown, Kevin Lindvay, Paul Mangione, Passinger and Wortman.