ELMWOOD — Elmwood approved its half of EPC football’s move to eight-man football starting in 2028 at the school board meeting Monday night, with Plum City’s board also slated to vote on the item on the same day with Elmwood administration seemingly expecting a yes vote.

The item moved through the exploration and community input processes for about a year and a half, investigating whether or not sticking with 11-man football was an option for the co-op.

“After being hands-on in the program since basically the first of June, it’s definitely the right move to make. It’s not the move I want to make, but the right move to make for our future,” Superintendent Glen Webb said.

When the roadmap was laid out in April, the football program was made up of the following: 15 ninth graders, eight eighth graders, 19 seventh graders, six sixth graders, seven fifth graders, 14 fourth graders and 10 third graders.

“It was pretty well unanimous that we decided we should recommend to both boards, Plum City and Elmwood, to go toward eight-man,” Board Member Jake Hartung said. “I would love to stay 11, but it’s what needs to happen.”

The move came down to a combination of player safety and a difficulty in fielding 11 players on both sides of the football. EPC is not alone in making the switch, as Webb said Glenwood City is a “for sure” team that is making the switch, and Colfax had a meeting on the same night as Elmwood and Plum City to make the decision for themselves.

“Original Dunn-St. Croix teams playing football in the Dunn-St. Croix in 2028 could be Boyceville and Spring Valley,” Webb said. “We could end up in a conference that looked like us, Glenwood, Clear Lake, Colfax, Turtle Lake and Prairie Farm/Clayton, so our travel could actually be similar or less than our other sports.”

The approval is for two years, 2028 and 2029, because Elmwood and Plum City have to renew their co-op agreement every two years. That said, Webb said he expects this will be a long-term move rather than short-term.

The board approved the school building’s door and window project. The cost estimate is about $65,000 in a worst-case scenario, with potential for lower costs when all is said and done. The project as a whole was previously approved by the board, but Monday’s approval was for the cost estimate.

The board also approved the resignation of Spring Valley/Elmwood wrestling coach Ryan Turner.