Lawrence school board members hope they’ll get a strike — not a gutter ball — with their latest venture: bowling.

The school board unanimously approved an agreement with Royal Crest Lanes owners Larry Burton and Wayne Martin on Monday night to form a high school bowling league.

As part of the agreement, Burton and Martin will cover all costs associated with outfitting girls and boys bowling teams for Free State and Lawrence high schools through June 2010.

“I couldn’t imagine having to build bowling lanes at a school,” said board president Leni Salkind. “You’re opening up a whole other activity for students who are not likely participating in another activity.”

Burton said the agreement should help enhance the image of bowling as a sport.

“The youth have so many sports they can do, and bowling is not often thought of,” he said.

Burton said bowling was growing in popularity. Why that’s happening, he doesn’t know. But it is.

High schools in Wichita have formed teams and had inter-city league play for several years, and Olathe schools also have started forming teams, said Gary Musselman, executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Assn.

At this time, the KSHSAA doesn’t sanction bowling as an interscholastic sport in the state. But Musselman said the 78-member KSHSAA board of directors would vote Wednesday on whether the organization should take bowling under its jurisdiction.

“If it doesn’t happen this time, I anticipate it will come back up for a future vote,” said Musselman.

Burton said even if the KSHSAA board doesn’t approve the sanctioning of bowling, Lawrence students still would be able to compete. He said Lawrence and Olathe teams would square off in tournaments during the winter.

The Lawrence high schools will have 26 athletes per team. Each would have six boys and girls on varsity squads and seven boys and seven girls on the junior varsity teams.