ELGIN - The fate of the Carson, Elgin-New Leipzig and Flasher football cooperative is still undecided. A meeting among the three school boards Wednesday at Elgin-New Leipzig High School gave Carson and Elgin-New Leipzig school board members a chance to vent their frustrations and the Flasher board a chance to explain.

Earlier this month, the Flasher school district started busing students who live in Carson but attend Flasher schools through open enrollment because it met their new busing requirements.

Open enrolled students who live within an hour and fifteen minutes by bus would qualify for transportation. Students who live farther than that do not.

"There was discussion of a lawsuit over discrimination, and we spoke with our attorney, Gary Thuen. He said it wasn't a matter of discrimination, but it was a matter of consistency," said Flasher School Board member Lisa Schmidt.

The Carson School District took exception because of a fear that they would be losing students who might opt to go to the Flasher school district now that busing is available.

On top of that, they weren't consulted about the decision even as a courtesy. That's why there is talk about changing the football cooperative.

"That was the only thing that we had to get your attention and for you to understand how much it hurt us," said Harold Gaugler, Elgin-New Leipzig board member.

The Carson and Elgin-New Leipzig board could decide by June 1 to change the cooperative for the next school year, and they want to move the location for the home games out of Flasher. In the meantime, the boards will start meeting monthly to improve communication. The first joint meeting will be in February, but it is yet to be scheduled.