Outlying areas of Appanoose County, including the towns of Cincinnati, Exline, Mystic, Numa, and Rathbun, were involuntarily attached to the Centerville school district in the summer of 1966 as the modern district era in Iowa began. Not only did the little “Independent” schools lose their autonomy, some of the students — specifically, female students — lost a little more.
No shorts or slacks for girls at school
(Centerville Iowegian and Citizen, August 10, 1966)
At its regular August meeting the Board of Directors of the Centerville Community School District declined to change its ban on slacks or shorts for girls in school. The question arose due to the fact that such wearing apparel had been allowed in Mystic and Cincinnati schools which are now part of the Centerville system. This means the ban will apply to all schools in the new district.
There has been discussion of the issue in Centerville. However, the board feels that it is obviously wise to continue the ban.
There was one woman on the Centerville board at the time.
Buildings in Exline and Rathbun immediately closed upon the forced reorganization. Numa and “Thirty” followed the year after. Numa had 66 K-8 students in 1966-67. Thirty, with 23 K-6 students, was the last one-room school in Appanoose County. It was on what’s now IA 5 in the vicinity of the Orscheln Farm & Home store on the far south side of Centerville. I don’t know the origin of the name, which dates back at least as far as the 1915 county atlas.