The Heart of Iowa Conference may soon have a 10th member, as the Woodward-Granger School Board is expected to approve a formal application to join the conference in time for the 2026-27 school year at this evening’s (5/19) school board meeting. Woodward-Granger, who were members of the Heart of Iowa Conference from 1988 to 2009, are one of the fastest growing school districts in central Iowa and have been members of the West Central Activities Conference since their departure from the Heart of Iowa in 2009.
Following Grand View Christian’s addition to the conference that began with the 2024-25 school year, the Heart of Iowa Conference had been on the search for a 10th member. The conference invited Boone in March of 2024, and by the fall of 2024, the Boone School Board decided against moving to the conference. In the application, Woodward-Granger states “we believe the Heart of Iowa is an excellent activities conference fit for our district. Current and projected enrollments, central Iowa proximity, and aligned academic, athletic, and fine arts visions and values are the primary drivers of our interest in joining your conference.”
Also in the official application, it is discussed that Woodward-Granger has a “10-15 year vision” that sees the high school move out of Woodward and to a new campus on the northern edge of Granger. The school district currently sits as the 3rd largest in the Heart of Iowa Conference, behind Des Moines Christian and Van Meter.
The decision of admitting Woodward-Granger now belongs to the superintendents of the Heart of Iowa Conference.