Granby School Committee approves boys lacrosse co-op with South Hadley

GRANBY -- November 18, 2024, Granby School Committee votes to co-op boys lacrosse with South Hadley after roster falls below a playable number. The committee voted unanimously at its November 18 meeting to join South Hadley as the host school for the program, which currently has only nine returning players, two fewer than the 11 needed to fill the field, following the collapse of a prior co-op with Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School. Athletic Director Dylan Dubick said four of the nine players are eighth graders, making a standalone varsity program unsafe and unsustainable. Students will pay South Hadley's approximately $250 activity fee, with the district's existing financial assistance mechanism available for families who cannot afford it. Superintendent Mary Jane Natale separately reported that district MCAS scores in grades 3 through 8 are up five points in ELA, 10 points in math, and two points in science compared to pre-pandemic 2019 results, while warning that a new competency determination policy must be submitted to DESE by December 16 or the district risks losing Chapter 70 funding.