BUTLER TWP— A bowling team is coming to Butler High School.

After nearly two years of discussing the subject, Butler School District superintendent Mike Strutt and Jim Hepler, first vice president of the Butler County Bowling Association, formulated a proposal that was accepted last Monday night by the school board.

The team will operate at a cost of $11,829 and will consist of boys and girls varsity and junior varsity squads.

"I'm thinking we can accommodate 40 kids, 10 each on the boys and girls varsity and JV,"Strutt said.

Strutt said he conducted a survey to gauge the student body's interest in a bowling team. Results of that survey indicated 141 students saying they will try out if a team is formed and 441 would consider trying out.

The high school bowling season runs from November through February. Butler will join the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League, which has 42 teams — including Karns City and Mars — divided into seven sections.

"Butler is one of at least three schools joining next year,"said WPIBLsecretary Mike DiSanto, who also coaches of the North Hills High team.

The WPIBLhas existed for 20 years. When North Hills joined the circuit 10 years ago, it was the sixth team to do so.

"We're growing at a faster rate than high school bowling is on a national level,"DiSanto said. "We advertise. We promote. We want to grow."

WPIBLmatches take place during immediately after school hours.

Hepler and Strutt have bowled together for years in the Tuesday Night Fox's Pizza Den League. Hepler first learned of the WPIBLthrough discussions with Dave Greene, who coaches the Mars team out of Mystic Lanes.

"Dave suggested we form a team in Butler and I thought the idea was worth pursuing," Hepler said.

Hepler presented the idea to Strutt, who recently decided to aggressively pursue it.

Strutt said the position of head coach will be posted shortly. He hopes to have a coach in place by May.

"It'd be ideal to have the coach meet with prospective bowlers before this school year runs out, just to begin organizing for next year,"Strutt said.

Butler will use Family Bowlaway as its home house.

"That way, the kids just have to walk down the hill to get to practice and home matches,"Strutt said. "There won't be any travel involved."

The team's budget will go toward transportation to six away matches during the season, coaching salaries, a $250 fee to join the WPIBL, sanctioning fees and bowling shirts.

A portion of the Jim Mullner Scholarship Fund, set up through the Golden Tornado Scholarship Foundation, will be used to present a $500 scholarship to a Butler bowler and Butler golfer.

Mullner, a popular Butler Intermediate High School teacher who died in 2007, was an avid bowler and golfer.

Strutt is hopeful the Butler bowling program will pick up all fees for lane use as well.

"We don't want any student interested in being on the team not being able to do so because of cost," he said.

Hepler admitted to having interest in coaching the team.

"I'd like to participate any way I can, as a coach, adviser, assistant coach, whatever," he said. "This will be a fun thing for the kids and there's a lot of untapped (college) scholarship money out there."