(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community School Board heard a report from Activities Director Karlton Hector last evening regarding a possible change in conference participation. Currently, the Le Mars Community School is a member of the Lakes Conference, which includes Spencer, Spirit Lake, Storm Lake, Cherokee, Estherville, and Western Christian. However, the Le Mars Community School District received an invitation to become a member of the the Missouri River
Activities Conference which includes all of the Sioux City schools, Sergeant Bluff, and the Council Bluffs public schools, Abe Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.
The board wants to get additional input from the public before it makes a final decision on the matter. The board instructed Hector to bring the matter to the attention of the District Leadership Instructional Impact Team scheduled to meet on Thursday. Hector says the process all started with Emmetsburg leaving the Lakes Conference.
Hector says at about the same time Le Mars received the invitation to the Missouri River Activities Conference, other schools have indicated an interest in moving on, and possibly changing conferences. Hector says Le Mars Community
felt it would be appropriate to investigate all options available. The Activities Director says if Le Mars were to change conferences, very little would change regarding sports schedules.
Hector says the MRAC may someday ask Le Mars to start up a soccer program in order to have a consistent soccer program through the conference. Hector says one change Le Mars fans would notice if the local community school were to join
the MRAC Conference is the charging of admission to all junior high, middle school, and freshman level activities. He says currently the Le Mars Middle School schedules games and activities with schools of close proximity, and not
necessarily with conference schools. Hector also discussed the travel distances for Le Mars between the Lakes Conference and the Missouri River Activities Conference.
Another question deals with gate attendance. Hector informed the school board that they compared the five closes Lakes Conference schools with the attendance of the MRAC Conference schools that compete against Le Mars.
Another consideration according to Hector would be the established rivalry games.
