The Iowa Board of Education has ordered an end to the Farragut school district after multiple years of deficit spending and facilities not in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. This is the third overall state-mandated dissolution in Iowa’s modern district system and the second based on financial problems. Russell was shut down in 2008 for that reason.
This case touches on the two major issues facing Iowa school districts, declining rural enrollment and the Legislature’s reluctance to increase funding (not to mention Gov. Branstad’s veto of one-time money last session). Allowable growth has been set at very small percentages or even zero since the Great Recession. Also brought to light recently is an inequity among districts in per-pupil funding, which Davenport’s superintendent put in the spotlight during the last legislative session. There’s also the issue of higher transportation costs in large rural districts.
Seven votes in Hamburg killed a merger between Farragut and Hamburg, leaving the districts to struggle individually with money issues. Then a PPEL vote to fix the ADA issues in Farragut lost as well. Now the state will draw up a map to reallocate the Farragut area to surrounding districts – Shenandoah is likely to get much of it, but Hamburg and Sidney may gain as well. Hamburg will need to find a new grade-sharing partner (10 miles to Sidney, but 26 to Shenandoah).