The school board on Monday approved an athletic participation agreement between the high school and the Girls' Hockey Support Club.

The agreement states that the club will be financially responsible for all program costs, except ice time. By Oct. 1, the club will pay the school district $20,000. In subsequent years, the payment will be due May 1.

The arena rent for the boys' hockey team is $15,000. Marc Helmrichs, activities director, said ice time for the girls' team would be less because the girls would not have as many games and practice times the first year.

The school board's finance committee met with the hockey group last week to work out details of the agreement, which the board on Monday approved unanimously.

Two parents of girls interested in playing hockey missed the Monday meeting - the board met at 5 p.m. instead of the usual 7 p.m. A mother stopped board chairman Kim Bolz-Andolshek as she was leaving the meeting. Mother and daughter were happy to learn the board approved girls' hockey for 2008-09.

Coaching assignment policy

School board member Mark Liedl said he has a preference for certified teachers being assigned coaching positions, but he realizes that this is not always possible.

"The changes in the certified district staff in coaching positions is a compromise," Liedl said. "The policy embraces the philosophy without micro-managing."

The new policy includes this general statement:

"The school board recognizes the value and expertise of personnel outside the school environment in the field of coaching. The school board also recognizes there are times that expertise of outside personnel is beneficial and the best opportunity for school programs to be successful. In these situations, the school board supports the hiring of personnel from areas other than that of the school environment.

"The school board further recognizes that the school district activities director, along with the district administrators, set criteria for hire, recommend assignments, and evaluate all head coaches and coordinators of extra-curricular and co-curricular programs on an annual basis."