BELOIT- West Branch schools will officially leave its athletic conference to form a new league with other districts vacating the conference.

The school board Thursday night approved a resolution for the district to withdraw from the Northeastern Buckeye Conference Athletic League, effective June 1, 2018. Beginning in August 2018, the district will compete as a founding member of a new athletic conference to include other current NBC members Alliance, Canton (South) Local, Carrollton Local, Marlington Local, Minerva Local and Salem City Schools.

The districts are leaving the conference that also includes Louisville. Each of the districts’ school boards must pass the resolution that leaves Louisville out of the new league due to the district’s competitive edge caused by a significantly larger student enrollment than the other NBC members.

Superintendent Dr. Scott Weingart said after the meeting that the new league will need to add an eighth team, but did not speculate which district will join.

In other business the board approved an agreement with Timothy Hetrick to serve as the certified water operator of record for Knox Elementary School and Damascus Elementary School effective Jan. 29 for a monthly $600 fee. The board also hired on an as needed basis Kattie Royal as a home instructor and Luke Butcher as a scoreboard clock operator.

Additionally, the board accepted the resignation of Nathan Heddleston as boys’ head track coach effective immediately; approved compensation for Christa Harris as choreography for “King & I” funded by proceeds from the musical; and granted supplemental contracts for the 20152016 school year to Scott Manusakis for freshmen baseball, Evelyn Woods for volunteer softball, and Frank Edie and Chad Butcher for middle school boys track.

The board also entered into an agreement with the Columbiana County Educational Service Center to provide educational services for a student at the Lisbon Opportunity School and with Paul’s Taxi to transport a student, as well as granted permission to the Sebring-West Branch Fast Pitch League to utilize the high school girls softball fields for the 2016 summer with coordination through the athletic directors.

The board also accepted an anonymous donation of $29,711.89 for auditorium curtains, as well as $3,630 and $425 from various community members and organizations for Warrior Warpath project and totem pole replacement, respectively, $72 from community members for the Damascus Soldier Project, $1,800 from Knox PIE for fieldtrip busing, $670 from Damascus PIE for fieldtrip busing, $400 from the athletic boosters for HUDL software for the high school, $250 from Scott and Melissa Loudon for the Damascus Food Drive, $150 from the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce for the high school band and $140 from Kristen Tice for the NOSB Penguin Bowl.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 31 in the high school library.