August 16, 2016: At least one architectural feature of Villisca’s old school building was incorporated into its new one. At the time, though, Villisca had already lost its high school.
Radio Iowa (actually KMA) reports that Corning and Villisca are ready to finalize their merger of school districts. The two towns, in two separate counties, have been operating as Southwest Valley since 2013. (I ranted about the name at the time; little did I know what was to come.)
Corning, the county seat of Iowa’s smallest county by population, will retain the high school. Adams County itself will be part of three school districts, now that Prescott hopped over to Creston instead of staying closer to home.
The Radio Iowa/KMA story says the earliest consolidation could take place is 2022. A decade before that, the total final size would have made it the fourth-largest district in Iowa, but today, it can’t crack the top ten.