Burlington Central will be coming to the Fox Valley Conference in the 2019-20 school year.

The Central School District 301 Board voted unanimously, 5-0, in its meeting Tuesday to accept the FVC’s invitation to become the conference’s 10th member. Burlington also had an invitation from five schools in the Northern Illinois Big 12 to join but went with the FVC, although it will be the smallest school there by a substantial margin when it enters.

“We’re very excited,” said Hampshire principal Brett Bending, president of the FVC principals group. “Burlington Central makes total sense to be an FVC school based on location and the pace at which they are growing, which only makes the conference stronger. The future is bright in the FVC.”

Burlington will continue in the Kishwaukee River Conference through this and next school year. The six other KRC schools voted, 5-1, in June that Burlington must leave after the 2018-19 school year because the school was growing too large for the rest of the league.

Burlington has an enrollment of 1,049 this year and is projected to reach more than 1,300 within a few years. The KRC has four schools – Johnsburg, Harvard, Marengo and Richmond-Burton – with about 700 students, all with less expected growth.

Johnsburg was the lone dissenting vote.

The FVC and NIB 12 had discussions with Burlington throughout the fall months. The FVC extended an invitation Dec. 13 for Burlington to join. The NIB 12 did the same Dec. 22.

“This addition will only enhance our reputation throughout the state for strong play in the state series, high-quality extracurricular offerings and innovative instructional practices,” Bending said.