Urbandale board declines to change conference after weeks of public debate; two motions fail

The Urbandale Community School District Board of Education considered whether to leave the Central Iowa Metro League (CIML) and join the Little Hawkeye Conference but did not approve a change.

Public comment at the meeting focused on competitive balance, travel and enrollment trends. Josh Hagen, a Urbandale parent and volunteer, urged the board to change conferences, arguing Urbandale’s enrollment and competitive record made the CIML a poor fit. He told the board his advocacy on the topic has spanned years and said survey results showed community support for leaving the CIML (he cited a community survey that the administration later summarized as 62% overall and 77% of parents in favor of joining Little Hawkeye).

The board debated multiple proposals at length. One motion would have accepted an invitation to join the Little Hawkeye Conference only if that conference expanded to 10 schools (a conditional acceptance). That motion failed on a roll call vote (yes: 2; no: 5). A subsequent motion to accept the Little Hawkeye invitation without the 10-school condition also failed (yes: 3; no: 4). Board members who voted against both motions said uncertainty about the final membership and future conference structure made a move premature. Several board members and speakers emphasized that athletics are only one part of the district’s work and urged attention to youth programming and community conduct around school activities.

Superintendent Rachel (surname not specified in the record) and staff clarified process points during the discussion: state assignment of postseason classifications is independent of conference affiliation for some sports, open-enrolled students are legally residents of the district for participation purposes, and a conference change would require at least a one-year notice to the CIML — meaning any move would not be effective until the 2026–27 school year if the board later votes to leave.

Public comment and board remarks repeatedly raised survey results, coach input, travel/time-away-from-class concerns and long-term enrollment trends in the district. Several speakers urged the board to prioritize improving the youth-sports pipeline and community support for coaches and students regardless of the vote.

The board did not take any immediate administrative actions to alter schedules or submit formal notice to the CIML at this meeting.

The outcome leaves Urbandale’s conference affiliation unchanged for the immediate future. Staff said conversations with neighboring conferences will continue and that any future change would involve notice periods and further administrative steps.

Ending: Board members said they will continue community engagement on youth programming and athletic recruitment and acknowledged the decision has prompted broader discussion about coaching stability, open-enrollment patterns and how the district supports extracurricular programs.