Category Archives: Schools

Mar 31

Ocheyedan school to be demolished by summer

KIWA Radio reports the Sibley-Ocheyedan school district intends to have the Ocheyedan school demolished before Ocheyedan has its quasquicentennial (125th) celebration in August. The building has had a cloudy future for a while. In contrast to other recent demolitions around … Continue reading

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Mar 29

R is for Rake

September 29, 2015: The large white doorway was the connector to the original Rake school building. The gymnasium is all that remains of the former Rake school district. It merged with Buffalo Center in 1978 and the school was closed … Continue reading

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Mar 23

Doug Gee to be Clear Lake’s superintendent

Earlier this month, I wrote a post about former North Tama teacher/coach Doug Gee serving as superintendent for two districts in far western Iowa. Now, Gee is going to Clear Lake for the same position because that district will no … Continue reading

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Mar 23

Open enrollment will deal big hit to MMCRU

When Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn and Remsen-Union go into whole-grade sharing next year, the combined districts will lose $450,000 in state funding because dozens of students are open-enrolling out, reports the Sioux City Journal. Distance could be a factor in the exodus, because … Continue reading

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Mar 22

Iowa Falls drops an ultimatum on Alden

The whole-grade sharing agreement between the Alden and much-larger Iowa Falls school districts is currently the oldest two-way deal in the state (2004). Any arrangement that’s older has either fallen by the wayside through consolidation/dissolution or only sends students to … Continue reading

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Mar 09

S is for Swan

September 30, 2014 The tiny village of Swan (2010 pop. 72) built a school in 1928. Swan is two miles into Marion County off IA 316.

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Mar 08

Rule of 106

In one of its few non-property considerations, the Board accepted the resignation of high school math teacher Terry Stamp and voted to hire Judith Lyons to replace her. Ms. Stamp taught here one year. She asked to be released from … Continue reading

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Mar 07

Private schools make up half of 2A boys’ state basketball field

Des Moines Christian joins perennial/semi-perennial state basketball tournament teams Kuemper Catholic (Carroll), Pella Christian, and Western Christian in this year’s Class 2A boys’ bracket. It’s the most private schools in one class in a state tournament since last year’s girls’ basketball … Continue reading

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Mar 04

Former NT coach doing double duty as superintendent

The Boyer Valley and Woodbine districts in far western Iowa are sharing a superintendent to cut down on administration costs. That superintendent is none other than 1998-2001 North Tama football coach and math teacher Doug Gee. In 2014, Gee was … Continue reading

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Mar 03

T is for Thornton

July 29, 2010 The Thornton school in all its Art Deco glory met the wrecking ball in April 2012, leaving both a literal and metaphorical empty space in the heart of town. It lives in photos like these.

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