Tentative Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreement for CGB Athletics

By CHRISTY JANKOWSKI
Staff Writer

In June, the Cerro Gordo-Bement Sports Cooperative contract is up for renewal. For months both boards have counter offered contracts, but Principal Jeremy Rodebaugh has hope this one will pass. It is somewhat of a fifty-fifty agreement, which is what Bement desired replacing their one third-Bement, two third-Cerro Gordo split.

“I do know that it went over very well at their board meeting, and I have no reason to believe it won’t be officially I wouldn’t bring it up, I have good reason to believe I will be bringing you next Wednesday officially signed.”

In the split, Cerro Gordo will maintain all High School Sports. So, the logo will remain the Orange, Navy, and White. The district will host each sport, all practices, except for Cross Country which will remain in Bement.

As far as games, they will be split two thirds for Cerro Gordo, and one-third for Bement, with a few changes. Tournaments will not be counted as “games.” One football game will be played in Bement, but all playoff games will be played in Cerro Gordo.

Junior High will be an addition to their coopertaive high school sports agreement. This is something Cerro Gordo Board has desired for years.

For Junior High Sports, Bement will be the host school. The Junior High will become the CGB Bulldogs with the colors purple and white. All sports, practices, and all finances, coaching decisions, and some transportation. Transportation will be split between the dristricts where it makes common sense. Rodebaugh stated, “So, how the transportation will be calculated would be all high school transportation would be based on from CG. And now if we’re going north or east towards then we will naturally pick them up. If we’re heading to say Sangamon Valley, Bement will be responsible for the transportation to bring their students to serve over. And then, it’d be the exact reverse for Junior High.”

Rodebaugh stated during Febuary’s regularly scheduled board meeting, “It definitely wasn’t an easy or painless process, but I’m very, very proud of the tentative deal that we have done. I know it’s something that this board has been looking for a long time so to be sitting here to say we got it done tentatively It feels good.”

He added, “I do believe that both sides have reached kind of mutual understanding appreciation for each other that, you know, we don’t want to do this battle every two years as well. This is a deal that both sides can agree to live with you know maybe a minor discussion here, and there.

It’s an agreement that both sides are happy with and can live with for several years.”

An outline of the agreement is below and was sent to me from Cerro Gordo Junior High School Principal, Jeremy Rodebaugh.

•All HS Sports will be known as the CGB Broncos; orange, navy, and white.

•All HS Sports will be hosted by CG

•All HS Sports practices will be in CG with the exception of Cross Country which will be in Bement.

•2/3 HS Games will be in CG and 1/3 will be in Bement with the following exceptions:

-Tournaments will no longer count in the games count

– 1 football game will be played in Bement in both the 4 and 5 home game seasons

-Any football playoff games will be in CG

– All Cross Country meets will be in Bement

•All HS Sports finances (revenue/expenses), coaching decisions, scheduling, etc. will be the responsibility of CG with the exception of the transportation of the Bement student athletes to CG as well as the finances of running a game in Bement.

•All JH Sports will be known as the CGB Bulldogs; purple and white.

•All JH Sports will be hosted by Bement

•All JH Sports will practice in Bement with the exception of Track which will be in CG.

•2/3 JH Games will be in Bement and 1/3 will be in CG with the following exceptions:

– Tournaments will not count in the games count

– All Track meets will be in Cerro Gordo

•All JH Sports finances (revenue/expenses), coaching decisions, scheduling, etc. will be the responsibility of Bement with the exception of the transportation of the CG student athletes to Bement as well as the finances of running a game in CG.