The Perry School District is eyeing a possible exit from the Raccoon River Athletic Conference.

For the last several years, the conference has been a powerhouse in class 3A regardless of the sport. It will be expanding next year, adding two school districts with strong athletic programs. As a result, Perry has begun exploring the idea of leaving the conference for one that offers better opportunities for competitiveness. Superintendent Clark Wicks says there are several steps they must take before shifting to a new conference, the first of which is to see if any are accepting new programs. There’s also a lot of discussion to be had among the Perry School Board, with not all of them in favor of seeking “easier” competition.

However, Wicks emphasizes that the goal of athletics is to build confidence and teamwork in students, which is difficult to do when they’re getting blown out most games. “We have to take a deeper look at why is it that we are not as competitive as what other conference schools are in the Raccoon? Therefore, the question is: can we get to that level? And if we can, great! The Raccoon is a great conference to be in. But if we think that we could be a better fit and have more common qualities and common look as other schools, we should probably take a look at that. Which provides, ultimately, success for students, and it also helps to build the culture of being competitive. And hopefully, winning down the road is all part of it, too.”

The most likely destination for Perry if a move is approved is the Heart of Iowa Conference, which includes their historic rivals, the Greene County Rams. Heart of Iowa is losing both Gilbert and North Polk, which are moving to the Raccoon River Conference this August, so there’s a possibility they would welcome Perry in a kind of trade. The Raccoon currently includes Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, Ballard, Bonderant-Farrar, Boone, Carlisle, Carroll, Perry, and Winterset. Heart of Iowa includes Gilbert, Greene County, Nevada, North Polk, Prairie City-Monroe, Roland-Story, Saydel, and South Hamilton. Wicks adds, the potential conference realignment is in concert with the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s possible restructuring of how classes are assigned. To learn more about this and other Perry School District topics, click the link below to listen to the recent Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Wicks.

https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2020/01/14/lets-talk-dallas-county-1-14-2020-clark-wicks/