GREENVILLE — The Greenville Board of Education will discuss plans for Greenville’s athletics teams to leave the Greater Western Ohio Conference during its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday.
Greenville Superintendent Doug Fries said no final decisions will be made during Thursday’s meeting, but Greenville does intend to leave the GWOC if the Board of Education ultimately approves the plan.
“Upon board approval, Greenville with several other schools will look to withdraw from the GWOC by March 31 with the intention to become a new league,” Fries said. “Greenville sincerely appreciates the affiliation the the relationships that we’ve formed with all the GWOC schools.”
The GWOC currently includes 20 member schools throughout the Miami Valley. The plan is for 10 of the 11 smallest schools in the league — Fairborn, Greenville, Piqua, Sidney, Stebbins, Tippecanoe, Troy, Vandalia-Butler, West Carrollton and Xenia — to form a new conference.
“We’ll look forward to membership in that newly formed conference,” Fries said.
Greenville rejoined the GWOC during the 2010-11 school year after being a conference independent for several years. The Green Wave teams have competed in the GWOC’s North Division along with Piqua, Sidney, Troy and Vandalia the past eight years.
Tippecanoe joined the GWOC during the 2016-17 school year and replaced Trotwood-Madison in the GWOC North. Under the proposed split, Trotwood would remain in the GWOC with the conference’s nine largest schools — Beavercreek, Centerville, Fairmont, Lebanon, Miamisburg, Northmont, Springboro, Springfield and Wayne.
“This is really based on competitive balance and scheduling problems,” Fries said.
Greenville officials will provide the Board of Education with information to review on Thursday. Once board members from Greenville and the other departing GWOC schools approve of the plan, the 10 schools plan to officially notify the GWOC of their intentions.
Greenville’s Board of Education meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Anna Bier Civic Room at St. Clair Memorial Hall, which is located at 215 W. Fourth St.. Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month.