The Perry School Board voted Monday to accept applications from both Gilbert and North Polk to join the Raccoon River Conference for all athletic and other extra-curricular activities.
The additions will become official once approval is granted by current schools, but no roadblocks are expected on the way to the move taking place.
Gilbert and North Polk are both currently members of the Heart of Iowa Conference. That league consists of schools classified from 1A through 3A in most sports while the RRC is predominantly a 3A/4A league. Both the Tigers and Comets already compete at the 3A/4A level, with both districts experiencing continued growth.
Pending expected approval, the two newcomers will be folded into the RRC for middle school activities and sports in August of 2019, with August of 2020 the date for the start of the new 10-school schedules.
The IHSAA and IGHSAU classify schools based on BEDS numbers, which is the total of students in grades 10-12 in each district from the prior year.
Boone (475) and Carlisle (472) are the two largest current members of the RRC, with Ballard (432) and Perry (416) completing the top half. Bondurant-Farrar (402) is the fifth largest, with ADM and Winterset (both 381) and Carroll (348) following. Gilbert’s current BEDS number is 366, with North Polk at 364. Both are expected to rise over the next several years.
