The Kiski Area School District administration is reviewing an earlier decision to deny the local rugby club's request to use district fields this spring. Athletic Director Mark Berberich, who denied the Kiski Valley Rugby Club's request this winter over what he said was improper use of district fields last year, said the administration will “keep an open dialogue� with the club before it renders a final decision. No timetable was given for when that decision would be made. The club's first home game is set for April 10. Berberich's comments were made following Monday's district board meeting, where more than 50 club supporters turned out to voice their concerns with the administration's denial of the request. Topping the list for players and parents are the added travel time the club's inexperienced drivers would take on to use alternative home fields, the lack of exposure and isolation they'd feel from other students, and the “unequal treatment� they're receiving because the club is not a school-sponsored sport. “As a rugby parent with teenage drivers, it's terrifying when your kids are on the road until they get to their destination,� said Jodi Travaglia of Allegheny Township. “I'm worried about our kids having to drive to Ford City or elsewhere for ‘home games' because of a dispute.� The dispute in question stems from an incident last spring in which the soccer field by the Kiski Area Intermediate School was damaged as rugby coaches and police attempted to remove equipment after a practice. Despite the damage, however, the district allowed the club, then in its second year, to play out the remainder of its home games on district fields. But when the club applied in December to use district fields again this year, it was denied by the administration, which cited violations to its use of school facilities policy. For club members such as Zach McClarnon of Vandergrift, the denial is “frustrating,� given the positive impact that he said the club has on its members and the community. “Half of our members are on their school's honor rolls,� McClarnon said. “We have several former members who have gone on to serve in the military. We do volunteer outreach work with our community, and for a lot of members, rugby provides opportunities to attend a college they may not have otherwise. “The club, I think, is sometimes given a negative connotation. People say we're troublemakers, but it's really full of a lot of great guys. It's young, but it's doing some great things.� Heading into its third year, the rugby club consists of about 70 members from across the Kiski Valley, including 53 Kiski Area students. Last spring, it played five matches at the high school. Since then, both the football field behind the high school and soccer field by the intermediate school have been resurfaced with artificial turf. If the district stands by its initial denial, the club will look to practice and play at facilities in Ford City or Lower Burrell, members said. Superintendent search The Kiski Area School Board is seeking the community's help in its search for a new superintendent. Board member James Summerville and J.C. Tedorski, who works as an information technology professional in the district, have created a survey on the district website for community members to weigh in on the type of candidate they'd like to see fill the position. Current Superintendent John Meighan announced in January that he'd be retiring at the end of the school year after almost 25 years with the district. The survey will be available to community members until April 1. A link to the survey can be accessed on the district's website at www.edline.net/pages/Kiski_Area_SD/. Braden Ashe is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at bashe@tribweb.com. Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.