The Benton Community school district is not necessarily small for Iowa, in either size or population, but it has endured enrollment declines like any other mostly-rural district. After absorbing Norway in 1991, the district covers about the southern half of Benton County (PDF) except for the corner township (Belle Plaine) and the town of Walford on the Linn County line. (Also, Elberon in Tama County, which is kind of weird, but they got NFL player Chad Hennings out of it.)
The Benton school board now proposes closing the elementary school in Van Horne (PDF), a separate building from the 7-12 school also in town. Students up to third grade would be distributed to Atkins and Keystone, while grades 4-6 would all be in Norway. In this manner, the district can close a school but no town currently with a building would be completely out.
I am a little surprised by the move, since Benton County posted its highest population ever in 2010 and parts have become exurban for Cedar Rapids. But the numbers don’t lie, and Benton Community enrollment has fallen by 15% in a student generation (13 years).