Enrollment as it pertains to high school sports was released this week. As a result, North Mahaska will be the largest school in the South Iowa Cedar League, ahead of Colfax-Mingo by two students. These figures are utilized to determine in which class a school will participate for sporting competitions.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union provided the figures. The numbers, which are based on the number of students in grades 9-11, showed North Mahaska’s enrollment at 159, an increase in nine students. Colfax-Mingo had been the previous largest school but lost 31 students to drop to 157.
For North Mahaska it affects only girls’ sports. This is because the IGHSAU is broken into five classes while the boys remain in four. It also depends how many schools participate in a particular sport and whether they are in shared programs.
Lynnville-Sully, the fifth largest, was the only SICL school to see no change. The smallest school in the league is Tri-County, which saw a decrease of two.
North Mahaska boys will remain in Class 1A for all sports while the girls will compete in both 1A and 2A depending on the sport. They were in Class 2A for volleyball, basketball and softball this year and will remain next year. They will compete in 1A in track, golf and cross country. Girls wrestling remains one class according to the IGHSAU website.
Much of the movement across the state has related to open enrollments and the new voucher program the Iowa
Legislature approved in the 2023 session.
Montezuma, Belle Plaine and HLV saw large changes in numbers but will not change their classification. Belle Plaine saw an increase of 11 to 94 and Montezuma dropped by 10. HLV saw a loss of nine.
These numbers will be utilized in sports beginning this fall. Currently North Mahaska will be in 1A for track, golf and baseball. Softball will compete in Class 2A.
South Iowa Cedar League enrollment 2024-25
North Mahaska 159
Colfax-Mingo 157
BGM 142
Sigourney 139
Lynnville-Sully 117
Iowa Valley 110
Montezuma 102
Belle Plaine 94
English Valleys 94
Keota 66
HLV 63
Tri-County 44