District considers adding wrestling for students

Lack of cash and student participation had killed the program.
By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- New Castle Area School District is looking into reinstating the high school wrestling program.
Several school board members, at a caucus on Monday, said they would like to explore the possibility of providing a wrestling program for students interested in participating in that sport.
Administrators said the wrestling program was discontinued several years ago because of a lack of student participation and the increasing cost of operating the program.
The school board agreed to refer the matter to the district athletic director for his review. School board members said they would like to know whether there is any student interest in the sport and how much it would cost the district to reinstate it.
On Monday, discussion on the matter was initiated after the board learned of an eighth-grade student's request to participate in the wrestling program at Laurel High School.
George Gabriel, schools superintendent, explained Pennsylvania school code calls for a school district to make arrangements for a student to participate in a sports program offered in another school district if that sport is not part of the athletic program in the student's own district.