Pictured is a file photo of a girls’ swim meet that took place in Fredonia.

The Dunkirk and Fredonia school districts are planning to formally merge their girls swim teams.

Dunkirk hasn’t had a girls swim team the past couple of years. Female swimmers competed at boys tournaments individually, but were not a part of the Marauders’ boys squad. The Dunkirk boys swim team is currently also merged with Fredonia’s.

Dunkirk’s Andrew Burnside gave a presentation about the plan at the district Board of Education’s latest meeting.

“By combining with Fredonia for the upcoming season, it will give us the opportunity to not only have our females in the pool, but also compete against other females in Section 6, to allow them to compete at sectional meets, class meets,” he said.

Burnside said Allie Saye, Dunkirk High’s swim coach, “approached me a few weeks ago… and said, have we possibly had any conversation about merging swim teams.”

Burnside called Greg Lauer, the Fredonia school district’s athletic director, “and he agrees, maybe the time is right to look at combining programs, Dunkirk and Fredonia, in the girls swimming program.”

Besides the swim teams, Burnside said Dunkirk is merged into one more sports program: with Forestville and Silver Creek for indoor track.

Saye, also a teacher with the Dunkirk school district, will be an employee of the Fredonia school district for her coaching duties with the girls team in the fall. Fredonia is set to host the team.

In the winter, Dunkirk will host the combined boys team. Saye will coach that as a Dunkirk employee.