The Fayette R-III Board of Education voted Monday night to leave the Lewis & Clark Conference in order to form a new conference starting in the 2024-25 school year. Board members also gave unanimous approval to establish a girls’ golf team.

The great distances between Fayette and L&C schools, such as Schuyler County, Knox County, and Scotland County, primarily drove the decision to leave the Lewis & Clark Conference. But also, the loss of yet another 11-man football team next year means scheduling football is becoming more complex. 

The Harrisburg school board has already voted to help form this new, as-yet-unnamed conference. Marceline is leaving after this season, and Paris is downgrading to 8-man football starting in the fall. Now that Fayette has decided to leave, the L&C will only have three 11-man football teams left.

But Fayette hasn’t officially left yet. The board voted to make the switch only if at least six schools with 11-man football teams also left their conferences to form the new one. No minimum was set for schools to establish the new conference.

Four schools from the Lewis & Clark Conference and five from the Show-Me Conference have proposed forming the new conference. The Westran school board voted not to leave the Lewis & Clark. Salisbury tabled the matter.

No word has been received from the five Show-Me Conference schools: Eugene, Linn, New Bloomfield, Russellville, and South Callaway.

In the event that all nine schools formed a new conference, Scotland County would be invited for football only to make it an even eight schools with 11-man teams. Eugene and New Bloomfield do not field football teams.

Fayette Superintendent Brent Doolin said the new conference would reduce travel and stabilize football scheduling. “The mileage alone would seal the deal for me. There are good roads between the schools for the most part.” 

Fayette would be smaller than some of the schools, Doolin said, and the offerings in sports across the proposed schools are comparable.

In addition to a conference change, the board approved a proposal to form a girls’ golf team starting next fall. When surveyed, six girls said “yes,” and four said “maybe” they would join the team. The cost to the district would be minimal. An additional stipend of $2,847.50 would be needed to pay for a coach. All other Lewis & Clark Conference schools offer girls’ golf, and most members of the proposed new conference currently or will offer it.

Should a girl wish to play golf and softball or join the football cheer team, a priority system will be implemented such as is used for boys who run track and play baseball.