The Heart of Iowa Conference will have a new member come the 2026-2027 school year.  Perry will no longer be the only team from Dallas County to call the HOIC home with the addition of Woodward-Granger.  The conference has been around since 1966 and has gone through numerous iterations.  The current form has nine schools: Grand View Christian, Greene County, Nevada, PCM, Perry, Roland-Story, Saydel, South Hamilton and West Marshall

The most recent change prior to the Hawks joining was Grand View Christian being added this past school year and in 2021 Perry left the Raccoon River to go back to the Heart of Iowa.

The Woodward-Granger school district continues to grow and it made sense for them to leave the smaller West Central Valley Conference.  Based on last year’s enrollments, the Hawks would be the ninth smallest school in the HOIC.  According to W-G’s application, their expected enrollment growth will be more similar to the rest of the conference in the next decade.

The addition of Woodward-Granger shortens the travel distance for Perry and creates a home and home series for most athletics.  To be accepted at least a two-thirds majority had to approve.  PCM became the sixth school to approve this past Monday.