Iowa High School BEDS count 24-25

[BryceC]

I am surprised that more kids that do not get playing time but love the sport do not open enroll out to a smaller school to get some playing time, but they don't. I guess they want to be with their friends and the academic opportunities at the larger schools.

I asked one of my kids if they had ever thought about going to one of the smaller Christian private schools in town. They know a bunch of kids there from sports.

Answer was an immediate no.

For my oldest I’d be extremely hesitant to move him; he’s on a crazy accelerated academic track that a smaller school wouldn’t be able to manage.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

One of the main reason I never would of put my kids in a large school. Both my kids are/were 3 sport varsity athletes, excelled in every one. At a larger school...might of been a 1 sport varsity athlete and would of had a fraction of the fun and life experience.

Any school larger than 2A is an absolute no go in my book.

Very true, unless the kid is going to get a scholarship to play at the next level, going bigger than say a Bloomfield sized school is not going to get playing time. Both my sons played football and baseball at DC, the older one started as a senior, the other played some as a senior, both started in baseball, neither had any future in playing after HS and both enjoyed being around their teammates.

 

[psycln11]

One of the main reason I never would of put my kids in a large school. Both my kids are/were 3 sport varsity athletes, excelled in every one. At a larger school...might of been a 1 sport varsity athlete and would of had a fraction of the fun and life experience.

Any school larger than 2A is an absolute no go in my book.

And the contrary for me living in Ankeny. Sports was never a bid deal to my kids. My son and oldest daughter played varsity tennis all 4 years and loved it, but it would not have been the end of the world if they weren't.

All 3 of my kids were in marching band/color guard and made some of their best friends there. My two youngest were involved in show choir in Ankeny for 4 years and had tremendous success.

The academics is where they really benefitted though. All 3 took several AP classes and/or online classes through Ankeny's partnership with DMACC. My oldest had her AA degree when she graduated from high school. My other 2 had so many college credits that they were basically considered Juniors during their freshman year. Makes registering for classes in college when you are so far ahead of your peers.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

And the contrary for me living in Ankeny. Sports was never a bid deal to my kids. My son and oldest daughter played varsity tennis all 4 years and loved it, but it would not have been the end of the world if they weren't.

All 3 of my kids were in marching band/color guard and made some of their best friends there. My two youngest were involved in show choir in Ankeny for 4 years and had tremendous success.

The academics is where they really benefitted though. All 3 took several AP classes and/or online classes through Ankeny's partnership with DMACC. My oldest had her AA degree when she graduated from high school. My other 2 had so many college credits that they were basically considered Juniors during their freshman year. Makes registering for classes in college when you are so far ahead of your peers.

Very true if you are close to a CC and can use their facilities to gain duel credit, I worked with a gal whose daughter graduated with her AA degree from IHCC before she graduated from high school a few days later. Her daughter graduated from a 1A sized school, its about location more than size of the HS for many students.
Many HS offer academic instruction through their local CC, we had quite a few students taking nursing at my last job and the instructors were in Ottumwa, over an hour away. Cardinal has quite a few students each year graduating with a welding degree from IHCC. You do not have to be in a large school district anymore to have those opportunities.

 

[2speedy1]

Yeah, I guess I don't get the benefit of moving too much personally for NB. I also was told the Nashua Plainfield was looking at doing the same thing. They would also be in the same boat. Also will the Iowa Star allow them in?

They are both really right where then need to be. They are both really too big for Iowa Star. The problem with top of Iowa is/was the teams in the mid 200s are too big and unbalance that conference. Most of those are leaving. Really now it is just Osage that is throwing everything off. Osage is too big to be in that conference with the rest of them.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

They are both really right where then need to be. They are both really too big for Iowa Star. The problem with top of Iowa is/was the teams in the mid 200s are too big and unbalance that conference. Most of those are leaving. Really now it is just Osage that is throwing everything off. Osage is too big to be in that conference with the rest of them.

Osage needs to go the NCC, it's where they fit and that solves the Top of Iowa's problems too.

 

[mramseyISU]

I am surprised that more kids that do not get playing time but love the sport do not open enroll out to a smaller school to get some playing time, but they don't. I guess they want to be with their friends and the academic opportunities at the larger schools.

I had that discussion with my oldest. He probably would have been a 2-3 year starter at QB for one of the smaller schools and whenever he pitched against the smaller schools they'd be lucky to get a hit off him but at the big school he barely saw the field. He said there were times he wished he would have open enrolled to like Hudson or something like that but the was glad he didn't because of the academic opportunities he had going to a big school.

 

[BCClone]

Yeah, I guess I don't get the benefit of moving too much personally for NB. I also was told the Nashua Plainfield was looking at doing the same thing. They would also be in the same boat. Also will the Iowa Star allow them in?

The top of Iowas is going to be really spread out and Nashua was be the way far SE end. Them to north Union would be a haul.

 

[2speedy1]

The top of Iowas is going to be really spread out and Nashua was be the way far SE end. Them to north Union would be a haul.

Will they continue to have 2 divisions? Just reorganize those divisions? Any word on them potentially replacing those that are leaving etc?

 

[BCClone]

Will they continue to have 2 divisions? Just reorganize those divisions? Any word on them potentially replacing those that are leaving etc?

What one local HS coach told me a month or so ago is that they would go to one conference.

 

[2speedy1]

What one local HS coach told me a month or so ago is that they would go to one conference.

Yeah that will get pretty spread out for the far outliers. Not sure there is a better option for them though.

edit: Twin Lakes or War Eagle maybe for some of the western schools?

 

[BCClone]

Yeah that will get pretty spread out for the far outliers. Not sure there is a better option for them though.

edit: Twin Lakes or War Eagle maybe for some of the western schools?

if one more left they could go to 2 groups of 6 and do like the original big 12. Play each team in your group 2x and the other side 1x.

 

[mb7299]

Interesting idea for western top of Iowa to try for twin lakes, could definitely see West Hancock and garrigan joining. Kind of surprised Eagle Grove didn't try for that conference over NCC.

 

[BCClone]

Interesting idea for western top of Iowa to try for twin lakes, could definitely see West Hancock and garrigan joining. Kind of surprised Eagle Grove didn't try for that conference over NCC.

Eagle grove came from the NCC with Garrigan. They are now the biggest school in the TOI. They wanted shorter travel.

I don’t see west Hancock changing conferences unless the TOI completely blows up. North Iowas and North Union would be the most likely to leave.

 

[2speedy1]

if one more left they could go to 2 groups of 6 and do like the original big 12. Play each team in your group 2x and the other side 1x.

Yeah, Osage is really the odd one out at this point. The rest are all more similar in size now that the other larger schools left. BG is maybe a bit small, but being a private school probably balances that out a little.

North Iowa, probably is a bit small, but they are more balanced in Top of Iowa than those others are and not sure they would be all that much closer in distance conference wide.

 

[BCClone]

Yeah, Osage is really the odd one out at this point. The rest are all more similar in size now that the other larger schools left. BG is maybe a bit small, but being a private school probably balances that out a little.

North Iowa, probably is a bit small, but they are more balanced in Top of Iowa than those others are and not sure they would be all that much closer in distance conference wide.

Last I looked a couple years ago, north Iowa was the smallest school in the west. Throw in that they are a collection of very small towns whereas Garrigan is in a larger town for the area and pulls kids from quite a ways away.

 

[2speedy1]

edit: @BCClone (messed up the reply quote I guess)
According to wiki, if its correct, BG is technically smaller. But yes being a private makes up for it especially being in a larger town and recruiting etc.

But overall outside of Osage the rest are pretty balanced size wise.

 

[CloneJD]

Pella is going Raccoon River with Van Meter i’ve heard.

 

[mustangcy]

And the contrary for me living in Ankeny. Sports was never a bid deal to my kids. My son and oldest daughter played varsity tennis all 4 years and loved it, but it would not have been the end of the world if they weren't.

All 3 of my kids were in marching band/color guard and made some of their best friends there. My two youngest were involved in show choir in Ankeny for 4 years and had tremendous success.

The academics is where they really benefitted though. All 3 took several AP classes and/or online classes through Ankeny's partnership with DMACC. My oldest had her AA degree when she graduated from high school. My other 2 had so many college credits that they were basically considered Juniors during their freshman year. Makes registering for classes in college when you are so far ahead of your peers.

Color guard, marching band...all that is available at smaller schools. And my daughter graduated HS with 29 college credits from Indian Hills, started college as a sophomore and will graduate this spring in 3 years. I'm sure Ankeny is a great school, but getting your AA or close to it happens at most schools if the kid wants it.

 

[Kinch]

We talk a lot about how you play because it’s fun and you get to be on a team with your classmates.

My oldest who is in 9th now will probably never play. He was a starter on the C team last year. Probably like the 25th best player in his class. He’ll end up taller than some kids and he’s got a good shot but it’s probably his 3rd/4th favorite sport.

There is a good chance he doesn’t play varsity for any sport. If that’s the case that’s okay. You gotta be pretty good.

There is a kid who is going to be a senior this year who is 7 foot tall who has basically not played at all. Pretty slight but also pretty skilled and is a good athlete. I’ve played against him in my pickup games and somebody that tall on the other team is just mind blowing. At Boone in the 90s that kid would have played every minute of every game.

The Mulder kid that is playing for Iowa State was tall in high school and didn’t even go out for basketball until 11th grade, from what I heard.