Category Archives: Schools

Jul 17

The end of AEA 267, and the mystery of AEA 8

Thirteen months after I put Area Education Agency 267 on my “worst names in Iowa” list, something has been done about it. As of July 1, the agency — made up of the former AEAs based in Clear Lake (2), Marshalltown (6), … Continue reading →

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Jul 13

Goodbye to Raider Country

Last week the Ames Tribune went to the Collins-Maxwell/Baxter area and wrote about the end of their sports sharing program. The story focuses on the athletics, which came to a surprise abrupt end when the top-ranked CMB softball team lost … Continue reading →

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Jul 10

Gladbrook-Reinbeck dissolution debate and the national mood

A week from tonight, the Gladbrook-Reinbeck school board will have a final meeting regarding a petition to dissolve the school district. There will be an opportunity to share opinions, but I think everyone’s mind is pretty much made up. The … Continue reading →

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Jul 07

North Union, North Kossuth look at consolidation

At least, that’s what I get from the headline-only item from the area weeklies. The North Union School Board page hasn’t been updated with minutes/agendas for THREE YEARS. A radio station link whose headline says the same is already 404’d but … Continue reading →

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Jul 03

OABCIG consolidation passes

June 24, 2017: The school in Odebolt was a sticking point in previously failed reorganization votes. Residents were afraid the town would lose its school. The Odebolt-Arthur and Battle Creek-Ida Grove school districts will consolidate in 2018, the Sioux City … Continue reading →

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Jun 16

Bonus: E is for Elma

August 4, 2015: Some of the windows at Elma Elementary aren’t “windows” at all; they have classical artwork and inspirational quotes on them (detailed below). A decade ago, the Howard-Winneshiek school district was the second-largest in the state by area … Continue reading →

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May 28

Final graduation at Charter Oak-Ute

A week ago today, Charter Oak-Ute High School graduated its 55th and last class of students. Story: KTIV. One line in the story is practically boilerplate text in this era: Low enrollment numbers and lack of funding are responsible for the … Continue reading →

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May 26

Grand Junction losing its school

July 5, 2013: The school in Grand Junction most recently, and lastly, had fourth- through sixth-graders for the Greene County school district. The century-old school building in Grand Junction, which five years ago had the last class for East Greene … Continue reading →

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May 25

A look at Iowa school transportation cost disparities

IowaWatch and Iowa Public Radio teamed up for a report on transportation costs in Iowa’s school districts and the disparity in funding that dates back decades but only got serious attention in the past couple of years. The IPR story … Continue reading →

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May 22

Baxter, Collins-Maxwell separately joining Iowa Star Conference

(Pulled out of the drafts folder from months ago. — Ed.) I don’t dip into all the “conference realignment” on the high school level, mostly because there’s so much of it going on right now. In this case, it relates … Continue reading →

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