Western Dubuque climbs to 4A in 2010-11

The Iowa High School Athletic Association recognizes the school at Epworth, Western Dubuque.

“E” comes before “N,” so “Epworth, Western Dubuque” comes before “Norwalk.”

And as a result, Western Dubuque probably will be classified as a large school in most interscholastic sports next school year.

With 564 students in grades 9-11 (according to the state's BEDS Documents), Western Dubuque is the 48th largest school in the state. The top 48 compete in Class 4A in boys' and girls' basketball, baseball, softball, track and volleyball.

Norwalk also has an enrollment of 564, but the tie-breaker is the alphabet … first alphabetically breaks the tie. Western Dubuque replaces Oskaloosa, which drops from 48th to 50th enrollment.

In wrestling, the top 64 are 3A teams. Marion (463) is 64th; Decorah (441) is 65th.

West Des Moines Valley remains the largest school in the state, with an enrollment of 2,016. Des Moines Lincoln and Des Moines East are second and third, while Ankeny and Davenport West trade spots at Nos. 4 and 5.

In football, Western Dubuque will compete in 3A. So will Newton and Lewis Central, who have enrollments large enough to be classified in 4A. Dubuque Wahlert and Davenport Assumption will play 4A football despite having 3A enrollments.

In other developments (some of which were apparent once the football districts came out last winter):

* Highway 1 rivals Solon (295) and Mount Vernon (293) both move up to 3A. That's significant because of Solon's recent dominance in 2A football and that Mount Vernon is the reigning 2A champion in volleyball and girls' basketball.

* The 1A/2A cutoff line appears to be 147; the 2A/3A cutoff line appears to be 289.

* Enrollment is plummeting. Of the 98 schools we looked at, numbers are down at 62, including every school in the Upper Iowa Conference and the vast majority of the Cedar Valley Conference and the South Iowa Cedar League.

Here are 2010-11 enrollment numbers for area schools, broken down by conference (with change from 2009-10 in parentheses):

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY

6. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1,379 (down 18)

7. Iowa City West 1,347 (down 17)

9. Linn-Mar 1,300 (down 11)

10. Dubuque Hempstead 1,280 (down 103)

12. Waterloo West 1,260 (up 12)

13. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 1,251 (down 51)

17. Dubuque Senior 1,162 (up 62)

22. Cedar Falls 1,073 (up 23)

23. Cedar Rapids Washington 1,071 (down 31)

25. Iowa City High 1,041 (up 35)

32. Cedar Rapids Prairie 973 (up 42)

39. Waterloo East 846 (down 125)

47. Cedar Rapids Xavier 603 (up 19)

66. Dubuque Wahlert 436 (up 16)

WAMAC

48. Western Dubuque 564 (up 29)

64. Marion 463 (up 10)

67. Maquoketa 422 (down 52)

70. West Delaware 414 (down 14)

72. Benton Community 411 (down 2)

74. Vinton-Shellsburg 406 (down 21)

76. DeWitt Central 400 (up 2)

78. Clear Creek Amana 390 (up 13)

89. Anamosa 346 (up 3)

95. Independence 332 (down 21)

100. Center Point-Urbana 316 (up 15)

104. Williamsburg 310 (down 17)

107. Solon 295 (up 13)

109. Mount Vernon 293 (up 7)

123. Dyersville Beckman 255 (down 5)

145. Waterloo Columbus 219 (down 14)

BIG EAST

143. Camanche 220 (down 5)

210. Northeast 164 (up 4)

232. Bellevue 153 (down 14)

264. Calamus-Wheatland 131 (up 5)

277. Lisbon 123 (no change)

295. Midland 107 (down 12)

327. East Central 81 (down eight)

335. Preston 78 (down 10)

346. Bellevue Marquette 69 (up 13)

347. Andrew 68 (up 3)

358. Clinton Prince of Peace 58 (down 14)

375. Olin 43 (down 10)

CEDAR VALLEY

125. Mid-Prairie 252 (down 14)

136. West Liberty 237 (down 9)

150. Wilton 216 (down 27)

151. Durant 211 (down 6)

161. Iowa City Regina 203 (down 4)

165. Tipton 197 (down 2)

171. West Branch 193 (up 9)

174. North Cedar 191 (down 35)

NORTHEAST IOWA

52. Waverly-Shell Rock 526 (up 4)

65. Decorah 441 (up eight)

75. Charles City 402 (up 2)

87. Waukon 350 (down 30)

99. Crestwood 322 (down 12)

102. Oelwein 313 (down 26)

114. New Hampton 286 (down 27)

SOUTH IOWA CEDAR

237. Iowa Valley 150 (down 23)

241. Belle Plaine 145 (down 24)

247. BGM 137 (down 27)

251. English Valleys 135 (up 5)

261. North Mahaska 132 (up 7)

269. Lynnville-Sully 129 (down 10)

278. Sigourney 123 (down 34)

304. Montezuma 103 (down 19)

311. HLV 99 (down eight)

334. Keota 79 (down eight)

345. Tri-County 71 (down eight)

TRI-RIVERS

115. Monticello 279 (down 33)

148. Cascade 218 (up 7)

179. Maquoketa Valley 187 (down 15)

187. North Linn 179 (up 3)

195. Starmont 173 (up 7)

231. Alburnett 153 (up 15)

234. Edgewood-Colesburg 151 (down 11)

267. East Buchanan 129 (up 10)

305. Central City 102 (up 1)

313. Springville 95 (down 5)

UPPER IOWA

137. North Fayette 231 (down 12)

158. Sumner-Fredericksburg 207 (down 7)

163. MFL MarMac 201 (down 23)

168. South Winneshiek 195 (down 11)

197. Clayton Ridge 172 (down 28)

217. Turkey Valley 159 (down 1)

266. Valley Community 130 (down 3)

272. Elkader Central 126 (down 9)

289. Postville 114 (down 23)

298. Lansing Kee 105 (down 7)

332. West Central 80 (down 13)

OTHERS

83. Washington (Iowa) 362 (down 22)

98. South Tama 324 (down 43)

105. Union 305 (down 6)

167. Jesup 196 (down 17)

211. Highland 163 (up 23)

268. North Tama 129 (no change)

312. Lone Tree 99 (up 13)

321. Iowa Mennonite 87 (down 17)

371. Meskwaki 49 (up 20)