Just out today- IA HS enrollment figures

[tm3308]

I graduated in 1994 and our high school (9-12) had over 200. The school consists of the same towns today and it is now under 140. A difference of 60 people may not seem like much, but it's 30%. It would be interesting to see the small town differential from over the years.

I graduated in Wayne in 2008, when we had about 200-220 kids in 9-12. Played 1A football, 2A basketball and 1A/2A baseball and softball (depended on the year for those sports; we were always right on the bubble). Now we have maybe 130-140 kids and play 8-man football.

 

[cyclonesurveyor]

Johnston's new HS is basically in Grimes I think their district must stretch pretty far.

The new high school is on the west side of Johnston, still in Johnston. Johnston is getting to the point of being landlocked also.

 

[wartknight]

Yea, still landlocked.

http://www.urbandale.org/document_library/maps/city_maps/2006-School_District_Map.pdf

Seems more of those houses going up out West is Waukee area.

District is landlocked but a good chunk of the west part of district is very recently developed

 

[Cyclonetrombone]

Hmmm thought there was more growth in Central Clinton- DeWitt... an increase of 5 or so from when I graduated in 2003 seems weird (Was in a class of 124). Not sure where they justified spending all that on the new school.

Maquoketa growing is mostly a living example of the movie Idiocracy. While I was originally a bit surprised, after thinking about it... it fits.

 

[clone26]

Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial should combine and form a super school.

 

[BikeSkiClone]

When I went to Indianola 10 years ago, I think we were always around 45th or 46th in school size. Surprised to see they've jumped up to 38th. I had around 220 in my class and the current average based on that document is just under 284. I kinda followed their transition out of the CIML and into the Little Hawkeye and always thought a big part of it was a decreasing enrollment, which seemed odd with the addition of another elementary school and now w/ growing BEDS doc numbers. Yeah, they're still one of the smallest 4A schools but when they go to LH they'll be the biggest by over 300 according to that doc...is there something else behind the move? Other than not winning in the post-season in the major sports? Boys Basketball was strong when I was there, Girls were bad (now that seems reversed), wrestling has always held their own (slight decline since coaching change a few years back), Football always around .500 or below.

I feel like while they may be able to perform well in conference play against smaller numbers, they'll get a rude awakening come post-season every year when they have to play much larger 4A squads again.

 

[ruxCYtable]

I graduated in 1994 and our high school (9-12) had over 200. The school consists of the same towns today and it is now under 140. A difference of 60 people may not seem like much, but it's 30%. It would be interesting to see the small town differential from over the years.

Keep in mind those figures are not total enrollment. It's only grades 9-11, so most of the schools on that list you could add another 30-35%.

 

[wartknight]

That's going to be a weird dynamic when DCG goes up to 4/5A. You can probably see the new JHS from the roof of DCG and vice versa. There will be kids in Grimes on the west side of 141 that could walk to JHS in 2 minutes but will have to drive 10 minutes to get to DCG.

One of south Ankeny middle schools and elementary schools is on north side of town. Just trying to use the existing buildings but I chuckle at that a little. They moved puzzle-pieced the boundary lines around to make it fit

 

[tm3308]

It's time to boot Fort Dodge, Ottumwa, and Mason City (And possibly Marshalltown) from DSM Metro affiliation in all sports boys and girls. DCG, Norwalk, and a split Waukee will be able to fill those spots soon enough.

The problem with that is that those schools don't have anywhere else to go. They have the misfortune of being in the middle of nowhere as the only 4A schools in their immediate areas. And they're too spread out to make their own little conference like the Sioux City and Council Bluffs schools did.

The CIML will just keep growing for now. But it also might not be too long before there are enough 4A schools to make at least one new conference. I wouldn't be shocked if within 10-20 years, Gilbert, Bondurant-Farrar, Norwalk, DCG, Ballard, Carlisle and Perry were all 4A/5A schools. I could easily see, in that scenario, those schools joining up with Indianola, Fort Dodge and Marshalltown to form a new central Iowa 4A/5A conference. If that were to happen, that'd be a pretty competitive conference, IMO, and would get rid of the schools that are at a disadvantage in the current CIML other than the city schools.

 

[Three4Cy]

Has West Des Moines ever considered adding a 2nd high school?

In 1998 there was a vote, the choices were:
$50 million to update Valley and convert Southwoods into a full 2nd high school or
$30 million to update Valley and leave Southwoods as the 9th grade school

The $30 million won in a landslide because it was spun that they would destroy Valley (athletic programs) if they split it up into two high schools.

Also, many WDM residents will tell you there are two high schools in WDM - Valley and Dowling.

 

[drmwevr08]

Most districts are landlocked. They had to cover the whole map even if there were no cities there. In the metro particularly, the schools were there way before the growth and the municipalities are growing independent of the old pre-existing school boundaries.

I too am surprised Indianola is growing!
IHS 93!

 

[Cyclonetrombone]

Why are we funding Diagonal? Seems like that should have been phased out back in the 70s...

 

[DeereClone]

The problem with that is that those schools don't have anywhere else to go. They have the misfortune of being in the middle of nowhere as the only 4A schools in their immediate areas. And they're too spread out to make their own little conference like the Sioux City and Council Bluffs schools did.

The CIML will just keep growing for now. But it also might not be too long before there are enough 4A schools to make at least one new conference. I wouldn't be shocked if within 10-20 years, Gilbert, Bondurant-Farrar, Norwalk, DCG, Ballard, Carlisle and Perry were all 4A/5A schools. I could easily see, in that scenario, those schools joining up with Indianola, Fort Dodge and Marshalltown to form a new central Iowa 4A/5A conference. If that were to happen, that'd be a pretty competitive conference, IMO, and would get rid of the schools that are at a disadvantage in the current CIML other than the city schools.

That scenario would be like the Big 12 North and South back in the DMac days.

 

[tm3308]

That scenario would be like the Big 12 North and South back in the DMac days.

Well for most of those odd schools currently in the CIML, that conference is like what the Big 12 is for ISU football now. They can either form their own conference that'll be competitive within itself, if not against the rest of the metro area, or they can stay put and just get their teeth kicked in all the time.

 

[Cyclonin]

Most districts are landlocked. They had to cover the whole map even if there were no cities there. In the metro particularly, the schools were there way before the growth and the municipalities are growing independent of the old pre-existing school boundaries.

I too am surprised Indianola is growing!
IHS 93!

I guess I don't understand why surrounding school districts go into Urbandale city limits. I am sure it was some planning way back when, but I know I lived in the Johnston school district from Middle school on and open enrolled to stay in Urbandale (just north of Meredith drive), just seems like bad planning.

 

[tm3308]

Why are we funding Diagonal? Seems like that should have been phased out back in the 70s...

It's especially odd to me because I'm pretty sure they share quite a few athletic programs with Mount Ayr already. Why not just get it over with and combine the schools?

 

[Three4Cy]

It's time to boot Fort Dodge, Ottumwa, and Mason City (And possibly Marshalltown) from DSM Metro affiliation in all sports boys and girls. DCG, Norwalk, and a split Waukee will be able to fill those spots soon enough.

Waukee split is at least three years away at this point.

 

[Three4Cy]

For those who want entire district enrollment vs 9-11 you can get that from the Department of Education.

https://www.educateiowa.gov/data-reporting/data-reporting/certified-enrollment

 

[tm3308]

Waukee split is at least three years away at this point.

I thought they weren't planning on breaking ground on the new school until like 2020? Maybe that's when they were thinking a new school would be finished and ready for students, but I would guess it's probably more like at least 5 years before the split happens.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

The best thing for Marshalltown, Ames, Fort Dodge, and Mason City would be to get back into a league with the Waterloo Schools and Cedar Falls. The old Big 8 is the best scenario. They all hate being attached to Des Moines and CF and the Waterloo schools hate the Mississippi Valley. Its a win for everybody, but it won't ever happen.