The Iowa High School Athletic Association recently announced preliminary classifications for the 2023 and 2024 football seasons which will affect Perry. 

After adopting a new formula that subtracts 40% of a school district’s free and reduced lunch number from their Basic Educational Data Survey numbers, that has resulted in Perry High School dropping down a class to 3A. Perry Activities Director Katelyn Whelchel says that they were on the forefront of asking for a chance after forfeiting three games due to safety concerns last year. 

“We started talking about what we could do to help our cause and to help improve our situation and especially with the redistricting that happened this year. We knew we had an opportunity to try and talk to the association (Iowa High School Athletic Association) and see if we could get a free and reduced factor included.” 

Whelchel explains that the higher number of students on the free and reduced lunch program in school directly reflects the play on the field. She points out that they have 56-percent of their students on the free and reduced lunch program.

“ I have a soccer coach right now that’s trying to find some girl’s soccer cleats because they don’t have them. We have kids that can’t afford to go out and get private training or can’t go out and play club sports. So a lot of the things that we have to do have to be provided locally, and they often have to be provided at a reduced cost. So we’re really trying to find ways around that type of a system so we can continue to grow athletes in our community and get them ready to be competitive at the high school level.”

Whelchel says that she has seen excitement from players and coaches about playing on the Class 3A but notes the reclassification will not solve all their problems, they will still need to get bigger, faster and stronger.