Category Archives: Iowa Miscellaneous

Aug 12

Lee County could have one courthouse. Or not.

Posted on Friday, August 12, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Iowa’s unique 99-counties-100-seats arrangement will be put to the test in November, when Lee County votes on a bond issue to build one new courthouse. The Fort Madison Daily Democrat says the county supervisors approved the ballot on a 3-2 … Continue reading →

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Aug 08

Knoxville gets explanation for interchange sign change

Posted on Monday, August 8, 2016, at 10:08 AM by Jeff

And it’s in line with what I said was the case. The Iowa DOT’s goal in the stripped-down and genericized signs at exits is to reduce the “pieces of information” offered to the driver. The old sign (seen above) has eight … Continue reading →

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Aug 01

Iowa’s seventh electoral vote

Posted on Monday, August 1, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Depending on what you think about Colorado and New Mexico this election cycle (or Utah??), there could be as few as two “tossup” states in November outside the Eastern Time Zone. Iowa is one of them, but there’s a not-quite-secret … Continue reading →

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Jul 04

Liberty and law

Posted on Monday, July 4, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 2, 2008: Replica Statue of Liberty (1950) outside Buchanan County Courthouse (1939) in Independence, Iowa (1847).

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Jun 30

Map of Iowa school enrollment changes, 2001-2015

Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I have created a color-coded map of Iowa that shows changes in certified enrollment between 2001-02 and 2015-16. Certified enrollment is not a direct correlation with head count, because of certain formulas, but it’s the number used for all state … Continue reading →

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Jun 29

Iowa’s largest enrollment gainers, 2001-2015

Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2016, at 10:10 AM by Jeff

Statewide student enrollment over the past decade and a half tells a different story than a district-by-district breakdown: Rural areas continue to be drained of students while the gains are concentrated in the suburbs. By the raw certified enrollment total, … Continue reading →

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Jun 27

Largest one-high school areas in Iowa

Posted on Monday, June 27, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

This is a list of the top 10 places in Iowa, by size, served by one high school, in five-year increments. In most cases, it involves whole-grade sharing followed some time later by consolidation, but in some cases there is … Continue reading →

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Jun 23

The rise of the 400-square-mile high school, part 4

Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

October 3, 2015: Harmony High School, a one-story building at the intersection of J46 and W46, will become the sole building for Harmony this fall, with all elementary students relocating here from Bonaparte. Junior high and high school students will go … Continue reading →

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Jun 22

The rise of the 400-square-mile high school, part 3

Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 25, 2012: The cornerstone of the Boxholm school, last serving as Southeast Webster-Grand Junior High. The Boxholm school is not currently in use. By the summer of 2013, residents of the Corwith-Wesley district knew their high school was a … Continue reading →

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Jun 21

The rise of the 400-square-mile high school, part 2

Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

December 28, 2008: Every window in the Russell school building was boarded up shortly after the district was forcibly dissolved. Students in Russell now go to Chariton, which encompasses about 85% of Lucas County. Lucas County was the home of … Continue reading →

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