No vote yet, but WPIAL open to admitting Ligonier Valley

By: Chris Harlan
Monday, October 21, 2019 | 6:39 PM

The WPIAL administration supports Ligonier Valley switching districts, if the school is released from PIAA District 6.

The WPIAL board didn’t take any formal vote — that can’t come until after District 6 takes action — but it did discuss Ligonier Valley’s situation at Monday’s meeting in Green Tree.

WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley said he informally polled the executive committee — president Scott Seltzer, vice president Patrick Mannarino and treasurer Mike Allison — and they were in favor of accepting Ligonier Valley.

“Westmoreland is us,” O’Malley said, noting that most of the county is WPIAL territory.

The Ligonier Valley school board voted unanimously Oct. 14 to move to the WPIAL for the 2020-21 school year.

To make that switch, the school must ask the District 6 committee for its release. If District 6 agrees, then Ligonier Valley can ask the WPIAL board for permission to join.

“If released, they’ll come to us,” O’Malley said. “They know the timeline. Hopefully we’ll have it in time for November.”

The next District 6 meeting is Nov. 6. The WPIAL board meets again Nov. 18.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Ligonier Valley