221IOWADEPARTMENTOFEDUCATION(Citeas26D.o.E.App.Dec.221)
InrePetitionstoJoinActivitiesConferencesCamancheCommunityDistrict,BellevueCommunitySchoolDistrict,NortheastCommunitySchoolDistrictandCedarValleyChristianSchool,Petitioners
DECISION[Adm.Doc.4736]Theabove-captionedmatterwasheardonMarch28,2012,beforeCarol
1.
Greta,J.D.,designatedadministrativelawjudge,presidingonbehalfofJasonE.Glass,DirectoroftheDe-partmentofEducation["Department"].Thishearingwasheldpursuanttotheprovisionsof281-IowaAdministrativeCode[IAC]Chapter37andIowaCodesection280.13(2011).Chapter37providesforahearingbe-foretheDirectoroftheDepartmentifthemediationprocessoutlinedinChapter37failstore-solveapetitioner'srequestforconferencemembership.FINDINGSOFFACTThishasbeenauniquelycomplicatedprocess.Ratherthantheusualrequestfromasin-gleschoolorschooldistricttojoinanactivitiesconference,theinitialrequesthereinquicklyspawnedothers.TheDepartmentreceivedrequestsfromfourschoolstojoinoneoftwoactivi-tiesconferencesthathaddeniedthemmembership.Thoserequestsandthepertinentdetailsareasfollows:•CamancheCommunitySchoolDistrict["Camanche"]requestedmembershipintotheCedarValleyConference["CVC"].Camanche,presentlyamemberoftheBigEastConference["BigEast"],citedconcernsthattheBigEastmemberscan-notprovidesufficientathleticcontestsatsubvarsitylevels,includingjuniorhighormiddleschoolcontests.•BellevueCommunitySchoolDistrict["Bellevue"]requestedmembershipintotheTri-RiversConference["Tri-Rivers"]'BellevueisalsopresentlyamemberoftheBigEast.Initsrequest,Bellevueaddedthefollowinginformationabouttheper-ceiveddeclineoftheBigEast:
9
NorthCedarCommunitySchoolDistrict["NorthCedar"]lefttheBigEastin2008.oLisbonCommunitySchoolDistrict["Lisbon"]isapprovedtoleavetheBigEastnextyeartojointheTri-Rivers.o(Former)BigEastmembersOlin,Andrew,andEastCentralnolongerhavetheirownhighschoolsbecauseofwholegradesharingagreements.
222•NortheastCommunitySchoolDistrict["Northeast"]requestedmembershipintoeithertheCVCortheTri-Rivers,withaslightpreferenceoftheCVC.AsareCamancheandBellevue,NortheastispresentlyamemberoftheBigEast.•CedarValleyChristianSchool,whichpresentlyisnotamemberofanyactivitiesconference,requestedmembershipintheTri-Rivers.Themediationteam,requiredtobeappointedbytheDepartmentbytheChapter37rules,wascomposedofMikeDick,ExecutiveDirectoroftheIowaGirlsHighSchoolAthleticUnion["IGHSAU"],DavidAnderson,AssistantExecutiveDirectoroftheIowaHighSchoolAthleticAssociation["IHSAA"],andDwightCarlson,whowastheadmin-istratoroftheDepartment'sPK-12Divisionforseveralyears,andalsoservedastheDepartment'sliaisontotheboardsoftheIHSAAandIGHSAD.
It
soonbecameclearthatthemediationteamwouldneedtowidenitsusualscoperegardingthenumberofcurrentconferenceaffiliationstoreview.TheDepartment'schargetothemediationteamwastonotfeelconstrainedtolimititsmediationtothePeti-tioners,stating,
"It
isarealitythatconferencerealignmentshavefar-reachingconse-quences.Pleaseinviteanyschoolsthatyoureasonablybelievewillbeaffectedtopartic-ipateinthemediation."AtthetimeofthemediationteamactivitiesandsubsequenthearingbeforetheDepartment,thecompositionoftheaffectedconferenceswasasfollows:
CEDARVALLEYCONFERENCE
Mid-Prairie,WellmanRegina,IowaCityWestLibertyWestBranchTiptonDurantWiltonNorthCedar
TRI-RIVERSCONFERENCE
EastBuchananMaquoketaValleyNorth-LinnCentralCityAlburnettLisbon(membershiptocommence2012-13)MonticelloSpringvilleCascade,WesternDubuqueStannontEdgewood-Colesburg
BIGEASTCONFERENCE
CamancheCalamus-WheatlandMidland,WyomingPrestonBellevueNortheast,GooseLakeMarquetteCatholic,BellevuePrinceofPeaceCatholic,Clinton
MEDIATIONTEAMACTIVITIES
223ThemediationteamfirstmetatMonticelloonNovember15,2011,invitingallmemberschoolsoftheCVC,Tri-Rivers,andBigEast,aswellasCedarValleyChristianSchooltobeinattendance.Theminutesfromthatmeetingshowthatallschoolstookadvantageoftheinvitationtobepresent.Themediationteamheardfromrepresentativesfromallconferences,andthenrandomlyplacedthoseinattendanceintosixsmallgroupstodiscusstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofwidespreadconferencerealignment,ask-ingthegroupstoalsoconsiderpossiblesolutions.Eachgroupreportedtotheentireas-semblage;theminutesshowthat"excellentdiscussion"occurredinthesmallgroups.Followingthesmallgrouppresentations,eachofthethreeconferenceswasaskedtomeetseparatelyanddiscussthesolutions(providedinwrittenform)thathadbeenprofferedbythesmallgroups.Followingthosediscussions,eachconferencewasaskedtoreporttotheentireassemblage.Thesereportswerelessthansuccessful,withtheCVCandTri-Riversbothstatingthattheyfavorednochangetocurrentmemberships.Thetaskofthemediationteamwastoconsiderthefactorslistedin281-IowaAdminis-trativeCode37.4,whichareasfollows:•Schoolenrollmentfigures(currentandprojected)•Traveldistances•Comparabilityofinstructionalprograms•Traditionalrivalries•Numberofexistingandproposedschoolsintheconference•Comparabilityofathleticprogramsandotherschool-sponsoredprograms.OnFebruary13,2012,themediationteammetbyitselfandunanimouslyissuedarec-ommendationtotheDepartment,detailedherein.ThemediationteamalsotraveledagaintoMonticellotopresentitsrecommendationtotheaffectedschoolsinpersononFebruary21.Initswrittenreport,themediationteamciteditsbeliefthattheBigEast"isnolongerabletopro-videthecompetitiveopportunitiesneededbyconferencestudentathletes."Therecommendationofthemediationteamaddressedreductionoftraveldistancesandfairlysoughttomeetcompeti-tiveneedsofallaffectedschools.Thatrecommendationisasfollows:1.TheexistingCedarValleyConference,Tri-RiversConference,WAMACConferenceandBigEastConferenceshallbereorganizedinthefollowingmanner:CEDARVALLEYCONFERENCEMid-Prairie,WellmanRegina,IowaCityWestLibertyWestBranchTiptonDurantWiltonNEWCONFERENCECascade,WesternDubuqueMonticelloAnamosaNorthCedarBellevueNortheast,GooseLakeCamanche
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New Conference Alignments
The Iowa Department of Education rendered its decision Tuesday on an ongoing dilemma with athletics affiliation. In a nutshell, the IDOE decided to dissolve the Big East Conference and expand the Tri-Rivers and Cedar Valley conferences, the latter of which will be renamed, to 13 schools apiece.
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