Springdale and Riverview will put the rivalry aside — at least in three sports.
The Allegheny Valley School Board on Tuesday gave final approval to a cooperative agreement that allows the schools to have partnerships in wrestling, softball and golf.
Board member Paula Moretti said the schools have had an agreement in wrestling for years, but the softball and golf partnerships are new.
Riverview already approved the agreements. The WPIAL must approve the agreement before students can begin competing as one team.
The Dynamos are able to field a softball team, but Riverview couldn’t this past year because it didn’t have enough players. Under the agreement, Springdale would run the softball team and assume all costs.
Riverview would operate the wrestling program and pay for all costs.
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• Springdale, Riverview may team up in softball, wrestling, golf
“This is an even swap of two programs,” Hamsini Rajgopal, Springdale’s director of finance and operations, said during the Aug. 8 Allegheny Valley School Board meeting.
But the golf agreement is a little different. Riverview will maintain the program, but Springdale will reimburse Riverview a pro rata share of the cost based on the number of athletes rostered on the team.
For example, if there are 20 golfers on the team and one is a Springdale student, Springdale is responsible for 5% of the program costs.
The agreements automatically renew each year unless one of the districts chooses to withdraw before Aug. 15 of that school year.
“We believe that creating positive, meaningful relationships with our neighbors such as Riverview will not only strengthen but help advance the mission and vision of the Allegheny Valley School District,” Superintendent Pat Graczyk said Aug. 8. “We are grateful for their teamwork and creating these cooperatives. … We are looking forward to more meaningful relationships with Riverview as we progress, as well as our neighboring school districts.”
