MARION BOARD APPROVES LONG-TERM DEAL WITH PARKER
The Marion School Board voted unanimously Sunday night, April 13 to approve a nine-year, all-sports cooperative with Parker. The meeting had originally been scheduled for Monday, April 14 but was moved because of a conflict with another activity.
The Courier was not present at the meeting because the newspaper was not notified of the meeting’s change of date.
All that’s left now for the deal to be done is approval from the Parker School Board — which is scheduled to meet Thursday, April 17 — as well as formal action to approve the new cooperative by the South Dakota High School Activities Association Board of Directors.
If approved by Parker, the new partnership would begin in basketball, cross-country, golf, track and field, and volleyball this coming fall. Football, softball and wrestling would be added in the fall of 2026, with Parker agreeing to give Marion one home football game — a slight change to the agreement previously on the table.
And nothing is changing in Marion’s agreement to play soccer with Freeman Academy, a co-op that also includes players from Freeman and Parker.
Sunday’s meeting included public comment both in favor of the Parker arrangement, and from those involved in Marion/Freeman Rebels wrestling who felt like the partnership with Parker “was being rushed,” according to Marion School Board President Scott Tieszen.
“It may seem like it was rushed, but it was not a rushed decision,” Tieszen told The Courier. “We’ve been trying to get this done for years.”
And Marion School Board members affirmed their position Sunday night that a deal with Parker was in Marion’s best interest.
“These kids will adapt,” Tieszen said. “This deal is best for all of our sports and all of our students in the long-term.”
Assuming Parker OK’s the deal this Thursday, it will mean the end of the Freeman Academy/Marion Bearcats program following this school year, and one last year of Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy Phoenix football and softball, as well as Marion/Freeman Rebels wrestling.
It remains unclear what this will mean for athletics at Freeman Academy.
The Freeman Public School Board is scheduled to meet in regular session Monday, April 14 with “a discussion about an all-sports cooperative” on the agenda under new business.
