Urbandale board declines to move conferences; two proposals fail after months of public input

The Urbandale Community School District Board of Directors on March 3 considered whether to accept an invitation to join the Little Hawkeye Conference but failed to approve two separate motions, leaving the district in the Central Iowa Metro League (CIML) for now.

The first motion — to accept a Little Hawkeye invitation only if the conference expanded to at least 10 schools by the end of the school year — failed 2–5. A subsequent motion to accept the invitation without that condition failed 3–4.

Why it matters: The board’s decision determines what conference Urbandale athletes will play in beginning with the 2026–27 school year if the district decides later to change conferences. Conference alignment affects schedules, travel, postseason classification in some sports, and how often teams meet familiar opponents. Supporters said moving could give some teams more appropriately sized opponents; opponents warned the plan’s details remain uncertain and could cause unintended consequences.

What happened at the meeting: The board heard more than an hour of public comment before its deliberation. Josh Hagen, who identified himself and his Urbandale address, urged the board to leave the CIML and join the Little Hawkeye, saying the current conference is “the most difficult sports conference to be a member of” and that Urbandale’s enrollment and socioeconomic profile make it an outlier in the CIML. “The idea of leaving the CIML for a new conference was not something I thought of on my own,” Hagen said during public comment.

Board members debated competing considerations. Some trustees said they favored joining the Little Hawkeye if the conference adopted a two-division plan (big schools/smaller schools) and reached a critical mass of member districts; one board member moved to accept with the condition that Little Hawkeye reach 10 schools by the end of the school year. Other trustees said the proposal’s immediate details remain unsettled and worried the district could end up in an unfavorable configuration.

Administrators and coaches had provided survey data and participated in months of outreach. The superintendent and several board members urged civility in the community’s debate and noted that different sports are affected differently by conference affiliation; several trustees said the district must also improve youth programming and community support regardless of any conference change.

Votes and next steps: Because the CIML requires a one‑year notice to leave, any approved move would not take effect until the 2026–27 school year. The board did not approve either motion and therefore took no action to notify the CIML. Trustees said administrative staff will continue to engage with conference representatives if invitations remain open and that decisions affecting future seasons would follow required notice timelines.

Context and background: The discussion followed two community surveys and multiple public meetings. Supporters cited survey results favoring a move; opponents pointed to uncertainties — including whether Little Hawkeye would secure enough members to create balanced divisions — and asked the board to consider long-term demographics, travel, and cohesion among youth programs. Board members repeatedly noted that conference affiliation affects each sport differently and that no single choice guarantees better on‑field outcomes.

Ending: With both motions defeated, Urbandale remains in the CIML for now. Trustees said they will continue to review information about conference options, demographic projections and youth-program pipelines before any future action.