Springfield school board last night approved a request to add baseball to the athletic program at Franklin Middle School.
Springfield currently has only one middle school team participating in America's greatest past-time -- baseball. That team represents the Lincoln Magnet School/Ball Charter collaborative. The board unanimously supported Franklin Middle School's request to field a team. It will be coached by Brett Troemper, a science teacher at Franklin and assistant baseball coach at Springfield High.
The team will cost the district an estimated $1,500 in transportation -- a line item already in deficit spending -- but the board signaled an interest in approving more teams.
"So what's the possibility of not only Franklin but spreading it to Washington Middle School, Jefferson, Grant..." board member Judy Johnson asked.
Superintendent Jennifer Gill responded that she would be open to that. "That's what I put in my bulletin," she said, "is that would be the dream."
