NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER South Tama County 7-12 Activities Director Chelsea Ahrens addresses the school board during Monday night’s meeting.

During Monday’s school board meeting, 7-12 Activities Director Chelsea Ahrens told the board that changing athletic conferences could help the district improve competitiveness and encourage more students to participate in sports.

Ahrens, presented an update on the activities department’s goals and progress during the meeting, with her four primary goals including: increasing student participation, improving communication, developing students as well-rounded athletes, and updating the district’s coaching evaluation process.

Much of the presentation centered on STC’s membership in the WaMaC Conference and whether another conference may be a better fit for the district.

“I really do think that is a big issue that impacts our participation numbers,” Ahrens said.

Ahrens added that feedback from high school students suggests some are discouraged from joining teams because they expect to struggle and lose throughout the season.

“Kids are discouraged, and they want to feel part of something,” Ahrens said.

She pointed to the football program’s recent experience as an example of how playing similarly sized schools can build confidence. Football schedules and classifications are assigned by the state rather than determined by conference membership, and STC competed in a different district during its successful 2025 season.

Ahrens said the district has been looking at the Heart of Iowa Conference as a possible alternative. The conference includes schools with enrollments and demographics that district leaders believe are more comparable to South Tama. Members include: Grand View Christian, Greene County, Nevada, Prairie City-Monroe, Perry, Roland-Story, Saydel, South Hamilton, West Marshall, and Woodward-Granger, joining for the 2026-27 school year.

STC already competes against several Heart of Iowa schools in nonconference contests. Ahrens said those schools are closer to STC in enrollment, socioeconomic factors, and other demographics than many of the district’s current WaMaC opponents.

The Heart of Iowa currently has 10 members, however, and conference representatives have said that STC would need to find another school interested in joining so the conference could maintain an even number of members.

Superintendent John Cain said conference memberships are shifting throughout Iowa, leaving STC with an opportunity to reconsider where it best fits. Cain also added that other schools are being contacted regarding possible conference realignment.

“We have to look out for the best interests of our students and our student-athletes,” Cain said.

South Tama joined the WaMaC Conference during the 2014-15 school year. Ahrens presented information comparing STC’s results in team sports since joining the conference, along with enrollment, travel distance, and demographic information for potential conference opponents.

The district originally viewed the WaMaC as an opportunity to provide STC students with strong competition, additional levels of participation, and expanded fine arts opportunities. Ahrens said the district has to think about whether the conference continues to serve students as intended.

Approximately 92% of high school students were involved in at least one school-sponsored activity during the past year. That figure includes athletics, fine arts, clubs and other organizations. Athletic participation, however, varies significantly by class and gender.

STC’s participation was generally highest among freshmen before declining as students progressed through high school.

No formal action was taken regarding a conference change. Ahrens and Cain said conversations with other schools and conference representatives are ongoing, and additional information will be brought back to the board as opportunities develop.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17.