It’s not ABCWLT, but it could have been.
Algona-Burt-Corwith-Wesley-Lu Verne-Titonka, but officially just Algona Community, becomes Iowa’s largest consolidated single-high-school district on July 1. Western Dubuque remains larger, barely, and MVAOCOU is two separate districts, for now. A district that was just Algona and Whittemore 30 years ago has drastically expanded as Kossuth County’s population drastically decreased.
Consolidation between Algona and Lu Verne, which was effectively the old CWL area, was approved last September, along with a revenue purpose statement and PPEL levy for the enlarged district. That triple vote, incidentally, is now banned under the “property tax reform” law unless it takes place in November.
I hadn’t seen official word that consolidation would mean the closure of the Lu Verne school, but I reached out to the school and found out that is indeed the case. There were plenty of clues, for example, this photo from Algona Publishing showing the entire student body for the “final chapter”. That 2022-23 group did not include kindergarten, based on the May 2022 board meeting. There’s also the Lu Verne school’s Facebook page (still under the CWL name), which has made reference to the last events taking place at the school. There are posts with photos inside the gym, visible in the background of the linked class photo, that remained intact when the original school building was demolished. The gym was built in 1938-39, according to news accounts, and is very narrow on the edges. (See here and also here. Maybe. I don’t know if the Facebook page can/will be kept up or “memorialized”.)
It’s worth reprinting the first half of the February Lu Verne school board meeting, not just in case the website vanishes, but to convey the finality.
The Lu Verne Board of Education met February 15, 2023 with Collins, Holmes, Legler, Mitchell present. Others present included Supt. Hueser, Secy. Wempen. Vice-Pres. Legler called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m.
Sec’y Wempen administered the oath of office to President Mitchell. President Mitchell took over the meeting.
No one was present for the Public Hearing, which opened at 5:17 p.m. The Public Hearing closed at 5:17 p.m.
Motion by Collins, seconded by Legler to approve the conveyance of real property to the City of Lu Verne. Ayes: Holmes, Legler, Collins, Mitchell. Nays: None. Motion carried.