HIGH SCHOOL

Des Moines schools will remain in CIML for now

John Naughton
jnaughton@dmreg.com

Forget the split. At least for now.

The Central Iowa Metropolitan League -- Iowa's largest big-school activities conference -- will remain at 19 teams for the immediate future.

At least eight schools had discussed earlier this week a possible move away from the CIML. But many of the schools involved backed off that suggestion Friday.

The Roosevelt marching band will be playing in CIML games for the next two years, at least.

The Des Moines Public Schools announced in a news release that its five members -- East, Hoover, North, Lincoln and Roosevelt -- would remain in the CIML at least through the 2015-16 school year.

Activity directors at Marshalltown and Indianola also told the Register on Friday that their schools do not plan to leave the CIML. The league requires members who leave to give a year's notice, which was a deadline of Aug. 1.

There had been serious discussions among those five schools, plus Indianola, Marshalltown and Ottumwa, of forming their own eight-team league starting in 2015-16.

"We have athletic schedule contracts with all 19 schools within the CIML for the next two school years," Des Moines Public Schools Chief of Schools Matt Smith said in a press release. "We intend to honor those."

Smith added that the Des Moines schools would consider other options in the future but there was no timeline.

"We're not going to rush anything," Smith said.

The Indianola Community School District also issued a news release saying a possible departure from the CIML "to join a new athletic conference is being delayed."

Indianola held a school board meeting Wednesday to discuss the issue. About 45 people attended.

Activities director Bernie Brueck said his school will continue to serve the needs of its students, then come back in a year to decide its future course.

"We want to slow the process down," Brueck said.

He said the issue requires diligent discussion with other member schools to determine if the current alignment -- the seven-member Metro Conference comprised of the five Des Moines schools, Indianola and Ottumwa and the other 11 teams split into three divisions -- should be kept the same.

One key reason for the decision for the CIML to remain intact is athletic schedules for conference events have already been scheduled through the 2015-16 school year.

Marshalltown activities director Craig Huegel said his school plans to remain in the CIML for at least two years.

"At this point, we're not pursuing another plan," Huegel said.

Marshalltown, Ottumwa and Indianola all have scheduled school board meetings on Monday.

The 11 schools that were not considering a split -- Ames, Ankeny, Centennial, Dowling Catholic, Fort Dodge, Johnston, Mason City, Southeast Polk, Urbandale, Valley and Waukee -- had plans in place in case the breakaway conference occurred.