( KNZA )--The Hiawatha USD 415 Board of Education Monday evening approved the addition of two new sports for the 2014-2015 school year, but only if outside funding can be raised.

Acting on a proposal received last month, the board approved adding high school baseball, provided twenty-thousand dollars is raised by February 1st of next year.

The board also approved adding a middle school cross country program, provided 35-hundred dollars is raised by February 1st.

High school head cross country coach Mark Carter appeared before the board to request that the sport be added for 7th and 8th graders. Carter said the only cost would be for the hiring of a coach.  He said they already have plenty of uniforms and there wouldn’t be any transportation costs because the middle school meets would be held at the same location as the high school meets.

Carter said currently there are six schools in the Big 7 League with a middle school program.  He said the high school program has sky rocketed, and this would give them another edge. Carter said there are alot of younger kids coming up that don’t participate in a sport, and this would give them an option to do something.

The board also approved a proposal from High School Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Andrew Gaddis for the hiring of an additional football coach that would work with both the middle and high school teams, contingent on 28-hundred dollars being raised by August 12th.

The action came after the approval of a policy on the acceptance of donations for extra-curricular activities.