The School Committee gave its blessing to joint Wareham and Carver wrestling and hockey teams on Wednesday, June 27, which officials say will save the district more than $9,000.

Athletic Director Marc Loranger proposed the idea to the School Committee on June 6, explaining that Carver would have trouble filling its existing wrestling team next year, and Wareham would likely have a tough time getting enough students to play hockey.

Even though the proposal was likely to bring in money for the Athletics Department, some members of the School Committee were concerned about how the public would perceive the addition of a wrestling team to Wareham High School's offerings after the district cut more than 20 teachers in the spring due to budget cuts.

In the initial proposal, Wareham would establish the wrestling program at no cost to the school district. Carver would donate a $10,000 wrestling mat to the Vikings. Carver would pay for coaches and all busing associated with the wrestling program.

Wareham would keep all of the wrestling "user fees" — the money students pay to participate in the sport — for both Wareham and Carver.

Wareham would continue funding the hockey program. Carver would keep its students' user fees from the hockey program.

Loranger estimated that the set-up would likely bring in $4,000 in additional funding from athletic fees.

But some School Committee members thought that perhaps Wareham could get more out of the co-op, especially since the district pays $24,000 per year for its hockey program.

Loranger was sent back to Carver to negotiate... and returned with an even sweeter deal.

The total to cost to run both of the teams is approximately $35,000. (Carver budgets $11,000 for wrestling; Wareham budgets $24,000 for hockey.)

The user fees from both programs, estimated to bring in about $5,500 based on the Athletics Departments' current numbers, is now subtracted from the total cost of both programs.

The total cost then becomes $29,500. That is then split in half, making both schools' total cost $14,750 — or a savings of approximately $9,250 for Wareham.

School Committee Chair Geoff Swett, who was in-favor of further negotiations with Carver, called the idea a "much better proposal" than the first.

Now, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association must approve the co-op. As long as that happens, the Vikings and the Crusaders will be teaming in the upcoming winter season.