AHST and Walnut overwhelmingly approved consolidation Tuesday, multiple sources report (Register/AP, Nonpareil). Also in southwest Iowa, Fremont-Mills approved a bond issue, but it’s about the only winner this week. Throughout the state, other bond issues not only failed to reach a supermajority but outright lost. Among them were Monticello, Okoboji, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, East Buchanan, and Highland — the last was the one that would have closed the school buildings in Ainsworth and Riverside. Akron-Westfield had a majority but needed a supermajority (as was the case in Cedar Falls a few months ago). KMEG says the A-W margin was 22 votes.
The failure of a PPEL vote in Farragut, though, may be the most important of all of Tuesday’s votes. As a PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy) rather than a bond issue it only needed half plus one, but lost by nine votes. Farragut must have certain renovations/additions completed in order to be in ADA compliance and keep its state accreditation. It’s under a conditional accreditation this school year. This is after the merger vote with Hamburg failed, so Farragut (and really, both districts) are dancing on the line between existence and forced dissolution. The Department of Education may not want to drop the hammer, but after what happened to Russell, you can’t say it won’t.