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(3-16-18) Two Ohio high school athletic conferences could be effected by the consolidation of two schools in the Northeastern School District,  Kenton Ridge closing and consolidating with Northeastern. Both schools play in different athletic conferences, Kenton Ridge is in the Central Buckeye Conference and Northeastern is in the Ohio Heritage Conference.

Northeastern Board Minutes

The consolidation plan being considered by the Northeastern Schools Board of Education:

  • closing Rolling Hills Elementary
  • using South Vienna and Northridge as preschool through fifth-grade elementary building
  • converting Kenton Ridge into a middle school for all sixth- through eighth-grade students
  • Northeastern High School the only high school in the district

If the May 8th bond issue is defeated again the school board would put the consolidation plan in place.

In the November 2017 elections Northeastern Local Schools voters rejected a school bond issue that would have built $117 million ($40 million from the state) in new schools in the system. Overall 52 percent the of voters in the district voted against the bond issue and 47 percent voted for it.  In Clark County (4,013- 3,686) it failed and in Champaign County, who are a part of the district, voted no (43-8).

 

Enrollments	Boys	Girls
Kenton Ridge	253	230
Northeastern	146	141
TOTAL		399	371

Based on the enrollment figures from this year the new school would see some sizeable increase in numbers. Administration would have to consider the athletic programs and their future athletic conference affiliation.

Kenton Ridge is presently a member of the Central Buckeye Conference with schools who have bigger enrollment numbers:

KENTON TRAIL
Enrollments – Boys – Girls
Jonathan Alder 264 – 234
Springfield Shawnee 240 – 237
Kenton Ridge 253 – 230
Bellefontaine 346 – 277
Tecumseh 399 – 382
MAD RIVER
Enrollments – Boys – Girls
Urbana 228 – 184
Indian Lake 199 – 190
Graham 230 – 218
Benjamin Logan 217 – 189
Northwestern 224 – 224

Northeastern is a member of the Ohio Heritage Conference with schools with much smaller enrollment numbers:

North Division
Enrollments Boys Girls
Fairbanks 146 – 140
Mechanicsburg 110 – 87
Northeastern 146 – 141
Triad 111 – 101
West Liberty-Salem 130 – 143
West Jefferson 153 – 150

South Division
Enrollments – Boys – Girls
Sprfld Catholic Central 56 – 70
Cedarville 69 – 82
Greeneview 169 – 166
Greenon 157 – 190
Madison Plains 164 – 135
Southeastern​ 87 – 78

Looking at both of the conference membership enrollments the consolidated school would be a better fit in the CBC, while the OHC would be looking to add a new member. This should give the twenty Athletic Directors from both conferences something to consider should the bond issue be voted down.

Meanwhile, the NESLD administration will have to consider several issues facing them, the biggest will be how will coaches be selected to guide the various sports at the varsity level, will the consolidated school remain named Northeastern, will they be the Jets and will the colors remain cardinal and gold.

Ohio HS athletic conferences this past school year have seen numerous membership turnovers, the moves can come from all type of situations.

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