The school is putting forward an alternative to a proposed OSAA redistricting plan

By Jesse Sowa

Winter and early spring mountain passes can be icy and dangerous, and Sweet Home is hoping to avoid those if possible.

For the Huskies that means traveling north, west and south, not east.

The leading plan for state high school reclassification for the four-year block beginning in fall 2010 calls for Sweet Home to join a league that includes two schools - LaPine and Sisters - across the Cascades.

That has led Sweet Home officials to create their own proposal for the 4A classification.

Their proposal would keep the Huskies on the west side for all of their league games. It would also save the Sweet Home School District a conservative estimate of at least $20,000.

"Primarily from a safety standpoint, we have serious concerns," said Kevin Strong, the Sweet Home School District's business manager.

Strong put together the Sweet Home proposal, which puts the Huskies with Cascade, Central, Estacada, North Marion and Stayton, as well as current Val-Co League opponent Philomath. Sweet Home currently makes no trips east for league competition.

In the proposal created by the Oregon School Activities Association's classification and districting committee, the Huskies would travel to Cottage Grove, Elmira and Junction City, in addition to LaPine and Sisters.

Statewide, the Sweet Home proposal would cut 4A league travel by 7,440 miles annually, and reduce missed class time for student athletes by 4,960 student hours per year when compared to the OSAA plan.

No 4A teams would be required to cross the Cascades for league play.

"Overall, there would be more (schools) that come out ahead financially (than the OSAA plan)," Strong said.

For Sweet Home, it would mean being able to use more fuel-efficient vehicles, keeping students in class longer and increasing safety for everyone traveling to and from athletic events.

In the proposal, Strong purposely addressed two primary charges to the classification and districting committee. Those are to consider geographic location, including the additional cost of travel and loss of class time, and participant safety.

Last year, the Oregon Department of Transportation downgraded the maintenance priority of Tombstone Summit, which sits on U.S. Highway 20, the primary route to Central Oregon from Sweet Home.

Sweet Home wrestling coach Steve Thorpe said he isn't particularly looking forward to traveling east for league matches, if that is what's decided.

"You add on LaPine and Sisters, that's two trips over the mountains," Thorpe said.

The OSAA plan won't be finalized until October, and there's plenty of time and opportunity for public comment before then.

The first of two chances before the end of the school year comes at a meeting Monday in Sunriver. Sweet Home athletic director Dave Goetz will introduce the proposal to the committee at that meeting.

The next chance is a May 11 meeting in Wilsonville.

There will also be more meetings open to public testimony in the fall.

Sweet Home has several people involved in making decisions and has input at the state level.

Thorpe is the 4A wrestling representative to the OSAA. Rob Younger, the school's football coach, is on the OSAA Executive Board and OSAA Delegate Assembly as a representative of the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association.

"It's nice to have that in your own school," Thorpe said. "You can sit back and let people make decisions for you or you can get proactive."