Category Archives: Schools

May 02

A historic snow day for these schools

This picture shouldn’t have a May 2 date-stamp. More reports here. Let’s hope this week of weather is a real drought-buster. Based on TV stations’ websites, there are multiple schools that cancelled classes today because of snow. Because this is historic, … Continue reading

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Apr 27

Kossuth County Area Schools and Rural Iowa’s Population Collapse

As population and school enrollments in rural Iowa keep shrinking, many districts are finding it increasing difficult to stay afloat. One place this change is keenly being felt is in north-central Iowa. Rather than make this essay a blog post, … Continue reading

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Apr 25

Titonka Elementary School closing

July 6, 2011: Dead district walking. Even though Titonka’s merger with Algona does not take effect until 2014, the district effectively will cease to exist this summer. All students K-12, instead of just 5-12, will be going to school in … Continue reading

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Apr 24

CWL may be next small-school domino to fall

Corwith-Wesley and LuVerne have been whole-grade sharing for more than 30 years, but could never merge because the combined districts didn’t meet the 300-student threshold. Now the two districts may be going to join Algona within the next five years. … Continue reading

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Apr 23

Latest cancellations ever?

Rock Valley and Boyden-Hull, presumably among others in northwest Iowa, cancelled school last Friday because of snow (and then had prom anyway).

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Apr 09

Wapello wants exclusive deal with Morning Sun

Since 1990, the Morning Sun school district has sent junior high and high school students to three surrounding districts: Mediapolis, Winfield-Mount Union, and Wapello. Now Wapello, at least, is interested in making the relationship exclusive. Wapello’s certified enrollment has fallen … Continue reading

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Apr 07

And half of them are going to Waukee (no, really)

“New information from the Iowa Department of Education predicts a promising enrollment future for the state’s public school districts,” the Cedar Rapids Gazette says in the lead of its article. However, that sentiment only applies to the state’s suburban districts and … Continue reading

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Mar 16

The easternmost school building in Iowa

East Central Middle School in Sabula is going to close. I expected this to happen as a byproduct of the East Central-Preston merger. The article says there must be meetings beforehand, but that’s more or less a formality in this situation. … Continue reading

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Feb 28

Villisca-Corning: Simple name wasn’t even an option?

Back in August 2011, I wrote about the potential of sharing/a merger between the Corning and Villisca school districts. Later that week, Texas A&M announced it was abandoning the Big 12 and my attention went elsewhere. This week, that issue … Continue reading

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Feb 07

Titonka Consolidated… to consolidate

Aerial view of Titonka school from Google Maps. Notice airplane indicator on building roof. The other half of the never-merged WCLT district agreed to give up the ghost Tuesday. Titonka and Algona approved a merger, and the Titonka name will … Continue reading

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