Lost Schools

This blog post was submitted for publication in the Friday, October 30 edition of the Traer Star Clipper.

Have you seen the new Lost Schools documentary on Iowa Public Television? We happened to catch part of this program on IPTV over the weekend, and I encourage you to try to find an opportunity to catch this outstanding documentary during one of the many rebroadcasts that are planned in the upcoming month. The program provides a sobering look at how an entire community is affected when its school is closed. 

The former Geneseo Consolidated School.

Nearly every day I drive past the former Geneseo Consolidated School building as well as the former Buckingham school on my way to or from Traer. As I pass by, I think about the dedicated parents, community members, and teachers that worked hard to provide an outstanding education for their children. Perhaps many of you experience similar thoughts as you drive past these schools, or the former school buildings in other area towns such as Dinsdale or Clutier. 

The former Clutier School.

Over 4,000 schools have been closed in the state of Iowa since 1950. The “first wave” of school closings took place because of Iowans’ desire to merge rural one-room school districts that were only able to offer schooling through the 8th grade, with the goal of offering a comprehensive high school education for all students. In the ensuing years as rural populations declined, further consolidations took place throughout Iowa, leading to more school closures. In some cases, the main reason for a consolidation was not financial but a desire to offer greater opportunities through cooperation with neighboring districts. However, the primary reason for many of these mergers and school closings was declining student numbers and the subsequent loss of funding. To put it simply, they didn’t have enough money to keep the doors open. 

The former Dinsdale school. 

Is Iowa about to experience another “wave” of school closures?  I believe there are some that would like to see that happen, and they are creating conditions that will make it very challenging for smaller schools to remain open. Most school districts in Iowa - with the exception of a few urban and suburban districts - are experiencing declining enrollment. Funding is tied to enrollment. In times of declining enrollment, schools need to be able to plan ahead in order to be fiscally responsible. 

According to Iowa law, within the first 30 days of the legislative session each January the legislature is supposed to set the rate of school funding for the next TWO fiscal years. The Iowa legislature has broken that law numerous times over the last several years, leaving Iowa districts unsure about funding levels and providing inadequate time to make adjustments. As a result, many Iowa districts are losing spending authority and each year coming closer to the point at which they are forced to have discussions about closing their schools.

At North Tama, our current financial position is healthy but we are very concerned about the long-term financial health of our district given our declining enrollment as well as the inadequate funding we have received. Our inability to plan ahead due to the legislature’s failure to follow the law has only made the problem worse. Our certified enrollment is down by 39 students this fall compared to a year ago, and down by about 100 students over the past six years. Predicting enrollment changes is more difficult than ever before due to today’s highly mobile society with families moving more often and having the ability to easily switch from district to another through open enrollment, online schooling, home-schooling and other options. When a district also can’t predict funding levels because the legislature fails to follow the law, these two unknowns (enrollment and funding) factored together make it even more difficult for schools to plan and adjust. North Tama’s board was required by law to adopt a budget last spring, even though they didn’t know what the funding levels would be at the time. As a result, we will lose a significant amount of our spending authority. While this won’t force North Tama to become another one of Iowa’s “Lost Schools,” we are very concerned about the long-term implications for North Tama if these trends don’t reverse. 

The 2016 legislative session is just a little over 9 weeks away. Our legislators need to recognize that students in small schools deserve the same opportunities as the students in urban and suburban districts, and to recognize that small town schools are a vital part of the economy of our local communities. The legislature can show us that they understand the value of small schools by placing a priority on setting reasonable state funding levels in a timely manner. Furthermore, they can make a huge difference for smaller schools by not earmarking funds for specific programs but allowing local school boards to set the priorities. I urge our Lawmakers to hold off on discussing any other legislation — such as trivial matters like the legalization of fireworks — until education funding for the next TWO years is settled as is required by law. It’s time for our legislature to follow the law and treat Iowa’s students as their top priority.

Click Here to visit a web page created by the Des Moines Register featuring the Iowa's Lost Schools series of articles and web features.

Click Here to visit Iowa Public Television's website with information on the Lost Schools Documentary program.

Click Here to learn more about a book called For All the Small Schools written by Dave and Barb Else of Cedar Falls, Iowa.  The book is a photographic pursuit designed to rekindle memories of Iowa's great rural schools and the students, parents, and communities they served.