SHOREWOOD, Wis. - In a meeting with players and coaches, the Shorewood School District said it is not going to renew its football co-op with Messmer High School and Dominican High School for the 2028-29 school year.
Reasoning for the decision
Big picture view:
The school district says the decision came after several discussions about declining participation and player safety.
Shorewood staff will be talking with team members over the next several weeks to support them through the end of the current season and ensure that they have opportunities to get involved in other team sports, extracurricular activities, clubs, and/or other recreational sports programs that Shorewood offers.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Because the current co-op agreement extends through 2027–28, the school district will determine the viability of a football season next year as it winds down the administrative aspects of the program.
History of the program
The backstory:
Shorewood and Messmer formed the first ever public-private co-op team in 2001.
The "Messwood" team was also the subject of numerous media projects, including a book and documentary that chronicled the team’s development.
With football participation declining across the state in recent years, Shorewood and Messmer welcomed Dominican High School to the co-op in 2025. Still, participation numbers remained low and impacted the ability to safely field a varsity team.
Shorewood’s wrestling co-op with Messmer will continue.
The Source: The Shorewood School District sent FOX6 a news release.