The Valley Central School District last week was the first area school district to approve all high-risk sports.

The Board of Education voted on Feb. 8, with one person voting against, to allow football, volleyball, competitive cheerleading to be played during the Fall 2 season from March 1 until April 18, and then boys’ lacrosse during the Spring season, which will begin on April 19.

All other sports, which were dubbed low- and moderate-risk were approved previously.

Originally, the guidance from the Orange County Dept. of Health required either superintendent’s consent, but guidance changed, and the Dept. of Health asked for board support.

That sent Pine Bush Superintendent of Schools Tim Maines to the Board of Education on Feb. 9, asking for them to approve basketball and wrestling to be played in the winter season, which will end on Feb. 28.

Mains said, in addition to following the state and county health guidelines for high-risk sports, he said the district will give the code of conduct to all the district’s athletes and not just the high-risk sports participants.

“We’re doing extra things,” Mains said. “We’re not only following everything the county put in place.”

After a long discussion, the board, by a 5-2 vote, approved Mains’ recommendation for those sports to go forward at the varsity level only. Kristi Kheirall and Kristin voted against it, due to safety concerns.

Mains said he is going to bring a resolution to approve the high-risk Fall 2 sports – football and volleyball – at Tuesday’s meeting.

After going varsity only during the fall, Mains said if the winter goes well, the district will move to varsity and JV in the fall and then move to varsity, JV and modified in the Spring.

Valley Central Interim Athletic Director Rich Steger said there were about 200 students participating in the district’s winter sports programs.

“I have received numerous phone calls from parents thanking us for allowing their children to return to activities that bring them the greatest amount of happiness,” Steger said in a statement read into the record by Interim Superintendent of Human Resources Bill Miler. “Parents have commented that they haven’t been this happy in a long time.”

In Ulster County, the Wallkill Central School District Board of Education approved boys’ and girls’ basketball on Feb. 4, with Fall 2 sports registration active for only low- and moderate-risk sports.

The Board of Education must approve football and volleyball by resolution.

Miller said on Feb. 8 that 16 of the 26 OCIAA schools are participating in high-risk sports at some level. Eight of those districts are participating in all sports.

However, all athletes will compete in empty gymnasiums through the end of the month.

Section 9 Executive Director Greg Ransom said all venues will be closed to everyone except players, coaches, and support personnel through Feb. 28. Members of the media are also excluded from the gymnasium.

Miller said he is working with the district and with the technology departments to stream athletic events.