MCLEAN COUNTY, Ill. (WMBD) — The McLean County Unit Five School Board is making changes to high school sports.
At Wednesday’s meeting, board members unanimously approved adding boys’ volleyball and girls’ flag football for high school students in the 2026–2027 school year.
More than 2,000 students participated in an interest survey sent out in December 2024. When asked what sports they would like to see, boys’ volleyball and girls’ flag football received more than 43% of the vote. The survey results are available here.
Board member Patrick Mainieri said the decision does impact many holistic things they are taking metrics on.
“We see grades go up, we see attendance go up, we see graduation rates go up. So, as we the board look at opportunities to diversify the opportunities for our students to engage in an extracurricular or co-curricular program, we have to remember the tangible outcomes for the benefit of the student beyond just the actual activity that they’re doing,” Mainieri said.
Board member Kentrica Coleman was beaming with excitement as she said yes. That’s because her son Jeremy plays volleyball and had to travel to the Joliet area to play. He’s currently on the roster for the inaugural men’s volleyball team for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
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