DAYTON–School boards from this community and Waitsburg, and the Dayton-Waitsburg Athletic Combine Committee, are asking residents of both to respond to an eight-question, online survey concerning the future of the D-W Athletic Combine.

Parents, coaches, teachers, alumni and community members are invited to participate in the survey, which is organized to tally responses from survey-takers from each town. A third party will log survey respondents to ensure the survey results are honest and true responses.

The reason for the survey is that the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) will begin re-classification of leagues in January for the 2020-2022, two-year cycle and the two school districts and the D-W Athletic Combine Committee must inform the WIAA of either the continuation of the combined programs, or if both schools will be separate, or a combination.

According to explanatory information provided to survey respondents, maintaining combined athletic programs will result in the continuation of the program in the 2B classification. It is anticipated that six new schools are entering the 2B classification, dropping down from 1A. The survey further informs that a combined program would offer varsity and junior varsity opportunities for "most" sports.

If the two schools are not combined, both would drop into the 1B classification and play teams from either Whitman County or the Blue Mountain League. The Combine Committee speculates that participation may be low enough in each school district that games may be varsity only, according to information provided to survey takers, and that a lack of student-athletes could result in cancellation of the season. Another factor would be the week-to-week eligibility of student athletes, something that could affect availability of enough athletes to safely field a team.

It is conceivable, in the case of both schools being separate, that programs lacking numbers at the start could combine to keep a program going, the survey information included. In that case any combined program would remain 2B while other single-school programs would be in the 1B classification.

The survey addresses are:

For Dayton:

http://www.takemyschoolsurvey.com/WA_DWSportsCombine_DaytonSD_Community.htm

For Waitsburg:

http://www.takemyschoolsurvey.com/WA_DWSportsCombine_WaitsburgSD_Community.htm