Iowa’s next school dissolution could happen next year.
The Creston News-Advertiser reported in mid-May that Orient-Macksburg students did a presentation on the possibilities for the tiny district and recommended whole-grade sharing with Nodaway Valley. KSIB radio reported that at a May 20 meeting would provide a chance for the public to weigh in.
At that meeting, dissolution appears to have replaced sharing as a very likely option. Iowa Starting Line reported that, with more than half of its student body open-enrolled out, state funding was taking a massive hit. Fundraisers would not plug the $500,000 minimum budget hole (per year, before inflation).
Contrary to the Iowa Starting Line story, a dissolution vote would only take place in the dissolving district. Surrounding districts will have a say in what areas they would be willing to take before that vote happens. If a district’s board is disinclined to take territory, the remaining space would be orphaned and the state education director would involuntarily attach land to a bordering district. See, most recently, the Gladbrook-Reinbeck saga.
Orient-Macksburg athletics have been in flux this decade. A longtime sharing agreement with Creston was ended by O-M in 2021 and the district switched to Nodaway Valley.
The Orient school building, from 1913, is one of the 10 oldest active school buildings in the state.
Should the district dissolve, I believe the cleanest solution would be to send the Adair County portion to Nodaway Valley, the Madison County portion to Winterset, and the Union County portion to Creston. Just don’t do what Clearfield did.
Speaking of Clearfield: Hi, Ringgold County IAGenWeb, that’s a swell picture of the Clearfield school! Do you know who took it?