The Indianola School Board voted 7-0 to join Little Hawkeye conference Monday night, after a short discussion among board members.
Superintendent Art Sathoff and athletic director Bernie Brueck both recommended the board accept the proposal before opening discussion, although there were no comments from the public presented to the board.
An online survey by The Record-Herald and Indianola Tribune found that out of 47 responses, eight parents and 18 students favored moving to Little Hawkeye.
"This is definitely different from four years ago," said board president Carolyn Langenwalter. "I've really gotten hardly any feedback from the public. I could count it on one hand."
Public comments concerning the proposal in 2010 were much more devisive, said board member Mark Tucker, but the perception among community members has changed.
"Everyone that I talked to felt that this is the time to make the move," Tucker said. "We all need to support [the decision] no matter what side we're on."
Little Hawkeye formally invited Indianola to join the conference Dec. 22, Sathoff said.
The decision has been a long time in the making for the school district, which initially considere leaving the CIML last June to create a new conference.
That idea was squashed after the district realized it was contractually obligated to the CIML through 2015.
Indianola joined the two-division CIML in the early 1990s and the conference has expanded several times since - to three divisions in the early 2000s then eventually to the current four-conference format.
Moving to the Little Hawkeye could put more "butts in seats" said Ron Werling, a former coach and athletic director during a public meeting earlier this month, meaning the district could make more money from athletic events.
Recent gate receipts for Indianola have run about $1,200 to $1,600, said Brueck, versus about $2,200 for a recent match up between Grinnell and Dallas Center Grimes, two members of the Little Hawkeye conference. In addition to the increased money, there's an added sense of excitement, said some supporters of the change.
The change will have little impact on athletic programs, said Brueck. Most sports schedule several invitationals and non-conference competitions in addition to their CIML contests. That would continue, Brueck said at the town hall meeting earlier this month.
"I told them I'm hopeful that once we make a decision, if we do decide to go, we would have the opportunity to be your first phone call," Brueck told the board. "We support our programs, and that's why they like to play us. We're very competitive and bring fans to the stands."
Superintendent Art Sathoff and athletic director Bernie Brueck both recommended the board accept the proposal before opening discussion, although there were no comments from the public presented to the board.
An online survey by The Record-Herald and Indianola Tribune found that out of 47 responses, eight parents and 18 students favored moving to Little Hawkeye.
"This is definitely different from four years ago," said board president Carolyn Langenwalter. "I've really gotten hardly any feedback from the public. I could count it on one hand."
Public comments concerning the proposal in 2010 were much more devisive, said board member Mark Tucker, but the perception among community members has changed.
"Everyone that I talked to felt that this is the time to make the move," Tucker said. "We all need to support [the decision] no matter what side we're on."
Little Hawkeye formally invited Indianola to join the conference Dec. 22, Sathoff said.
The decision has been a long time in the making for the school district, which initially considere leaving the CIML last June to create a new conference.
That idea was squashed after the district realized it was contractually obligated to the CIML through 2015.
Indianola joined the two-division CIML in the early 1990s and the conference has expanded several times since - to three divisions in the early 2000s then eventually to the current four-conference format.
Moving to the Little Hawkeye could put more "butts in seats" said Ron Werling, a former coach and athletic director during a public meeting earlier this month, meaning the district could make more money from athletic events.
Recent gate receipts for Indianola have run about $1,200 to $1,600, said Brueck, versus about $2,200 for a recent match up between Grinnell and Dallas Center Grimes, two members of the Little Hawkeye conference. In addition to the increased money, there's an added sense of excitement, said some supporters of the change.
The change will have little impact on athletic programs, said Brueck. Most sports schedule several invitationals and non-conference competitions in addition to their CIML contests. That would continue, Brueck said at the town hall meeting earlier this month.
"I told them I'm hopeful that once we make a decision, if we do decide to go, we would have the opportunity to be your first phone call," Brueck told the board. "We support our programs, and that's why they like to play us. We're very competitive and bring fans to the stands."
