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Clinton Administrators Surprised By Okaw Dismantling Talks

School athletic directors and principles convened last week to discuss possible changes in the Okaw Valley Conference.

Okaw Valley officials got together Wednesday to talk about schools possibly leaving the Okaw Valley Conference. According to Clinton Athletic Director Karl Parrish, this news came as a surprise. He feels all the schools in the conference have great relationships, which makes the news all the more disappointing.

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Superintendent of Clinton Schools Dr. Jeff Holmes says the Okaw Valley Conference is the premier conference at the very least in downstate Illinois. He points to the conference's 42 state trophies through the IHSA recognized sports as proof of the Okaw's strength.

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With a likely separation of seven teams from the conference, Dr. Holmes believes this is being driven by football. He feels it is unfair for schools to look down on the success of schools like Tolono-Unity or Maroa-Forsyth because they have worked hard to get their programs to the successful levels they are at.

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To leave the conference, schools must give two years notice prior to their departure, so the earliest any team could exit or enter the conference would be the 2014-15 school year.

Parrish believes the timeline of knowing a school's intent to withdraw from the Okaw Valley could come within the next month.

A special meeting is being held today by athletic directors from the five schools expected to remain in the Okaw, Maroa-Forsyth, Tolono-Unity, Clinton, Monticello and Decatur St. Teresa. They will be deciding what their plan of action will be moving forward.

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