NORTH BALTIMORE – The North Baltimore School District is set to join the Blanchard Valley Conference.
Athletes will begin competing in the league during the 2014-15 school year.
At that time, North Baltimore will withdraw from its existing conference, the Midland Athletic League.

The decision to change conferences happened Tuesday following a 5-0 vote by the Board of Education.
"This is something we were pleased to accept," said superintendent Marlene North.
Athletics director Bradlee Rowlinson said North Baltimore first received a letter from the BVC asking the
district to express interest in joining. There was then correspondence and a presentation made to the
conference before the BVC extended an invitation to North Baltimore.
"Location is very key," Rowlinson said. "The longest drive for us in the BVC is going to
be 45 to 50 minutes as compared to an hour or an hour and 15 minutes for some MAL schools."
The BVC is composed of 10 schools from Hancock, Putnam and Hardin counties.
Opponents will be Arcadia, Arlington, Cory-Rawson, Hardin Northern, Leipsic, Liberty-Benton, McComb,
Pandora-Gilboa, Van Buren, and Vanlue.
Rowlinson said Hopewell-Loudon also has been invited to join the BVC, which would make it a 12-team
conference.
Competition will also be equitable, he said.
"There are several BVC schools comparable to us in size," Rowlinson said.
And several communities in the new conference, like Arcadia and Leipsic, are comparable communities, he
said.
Also at the board meeting, members approved additional work to the Larry Woodruff Field House. The Board
agreed to pay $6,946 to Whitta Construction, Fostoria, for a stone drive area and concrete walks.
"This is the first of probably many change orders you will see to get us beyond the original base
building," North said.
North said the field house is beginning to take shape, with walls being constructed.
The immediate need for the building will be for wrestling, softball and baseball practices. The facility
will also have locker rooms with rest rooms.
There is also space for a concession stand, but the interior work for it will be completed at a later
date, North said.