.

[ruxCYtable]

It is one of the most expensive tax districts to live in because of the lack of a commercial tax base, so the burden ends up on the residents.

I live by the giant roundabout on Tower Terrace. That whole strip is supposed to be commercial but apparently they zoned it so nothing could stay open past 8pm or something? So nobody wants to locate there and it's sitting empty.

Part of me was surprised that the bond vote did not succeed and part of me was happy. The stadium and pool were 100% necessary IMO (too bad they couldn't get the new YMCA sooner and that could have taken care of the pool problem). The biggest issue people had was the continued spending without addressing the elephant in the room. Then they had the audacity to give the district communication director a $4k bonus for his hard work on it.

I really do feel bad for the older buildings (one of which our kids will attend) that were going to get renovations out of this deal. Hell if you dug into it one of the things they were planning to do was fix windows on a K-5 school that don't lock! Why the hell don't they find the money in the yearly operating budget to fix stuff like that?

Muholland was a terrible Superintendent but this new guy is just as bad if not worse.

I feel bad it didn't pass. The kids really are over-crowded. I voted for it, but I received my tax bill on voting day, which made me think twice!

 

[beentherebefore]

This is my understanding of Iowa public school district boundaries. Much of how we think of school districts in Iowa now began in 1965, when the Legislature passed a law requiring that all areas of the state be part of a school district with a high school, finally ending the era of one-room schools. What happened in most places was that many one-room districts combined to create a larger district with a high school. Some of those one-room districts simply were absorbed by larger ones that already had a high school. This is also a simple explanation of why school district boundaries do not follow city boundaries. City boundaries have changed greatly since 1965.

 

[AuH2O]

The HS is currently in the enrollment trough that led to two elementary schools closing, only to have space constraints a couple years later.
The wife and I were considering a move that would've put us in the Gilbert SD and decided had we moved there we would've open enrolled into Ames. visited the Gilbert schools and know lots of people there. Certainly a fine school, but I saw nothing special other than nice buildings. It's an unfair generalization but it seems like everyone we know or meet that were hell-bent on getting into Gilbert were small town Iowa people that made it to the upper middle class and want a shinier version of their small(ish) school. That and their sons are 6.5 before theyre in kindergarten. I'm very happy with Ames schools for our kids. More activity possibilities and sports than they can imagine doing, and academically I can't imagine anything better.

 

[wxman1]

I live by the giant roundabout on Tower Terrace. That whole strip is supposed to be commercial but apparently they zoned it so nothing could stay open past 8pm or something? So nobody wants to locate there and it's sitting empty.

I feel bad it didn't pass. The kids really are over-crowded. I voted for it, but I received my tax bill on voting day, which made me think twice!

That zoning policy will be changing but it will still have the stipulation that alcohol sales cannot be more than 50% sales.

I feel bad too but the sob video they put out the day after made me happy that it failed. Just did not come across as genuine.

 

[beentherebefore]

This is my understanding of Iowa public school district boundaries. Much of how we think of school districts in Iowa now began in 1965, when the Legislature passed a law requiring that all areas of the state be part of a school district with a high school, finally ending the era of one-room schools. What happened in most places was that many one-room districts combined to create a larger district with a high school. Some of those one-room districts simply were absorbed by larger ones that already had a high school. This is also a simple explanation of why school district boundaries do not follow city boundaries. City boundaries have changed greatly since 1965.

In case you want to read more on consolidation past, present, and future.
http://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?filename=0&article=1302&context=icru&type=additional

 

[Lamoni]

Interesting article. What is the answer here for schools like Marshalltown, Ottumwa, Mason City, and Fort Dodge? Fort Dodge in particular is the 15th largest school in the state and this article seems to be making a case that playing in the top division is unfair. I don't foresee a future consisting of only the top 12 schools in the state.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Don’t worry Ames, Ankeny is coming.

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

I look at the new developments going in around town. Most are in the Gilbert district however there are a ton of homes going in at the end of Ontario (west side of town) although they are just moving dirt at this point. Also west of the apts near west towne pub. Still plenty of room south of 30 too.

 

[theshadow]

Most are in the Gilbert district however there are a ton of homes going in at the end of Ontario (west side of town) although they are just moving dirt at this point. Also west of the apts near west towne pub. Still plenty of room south of 30 too.

4 different school districts inside the Ames city limits. I don't think the people living on the south side of Maricopa realize they're in the United district, and not Ames.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Gilbert is a weird place, all these people and nice new schools, new construction houses all over and there's not a damn thing in that town.

One of my closest friends in college was from Gilbert - before being from Gilbert was cool (2000-2003).

 

[Macloney]

One of my closest friends in college was from Gilbert - before being from Gilbert was cool (2000-2003).

I also knew a guy from Gilbert who worked at the Open Flame and would hook us up on steaks. Our bar tab would be so high that the hook-up really ended up costing us tons. It was great.

 

[im4cyclones]

The HS is currently in the enrollment trough that led to two elementary schools closing, only to have space constraints a couple years later.
The wife and I were considering a move that would've put us in the Gilbert SD and decided had we moved there we would've open enrolled into Ames. visited the Gilbert schools and know lots of people there. Certainly a fine school, but I saw nothing special other than nice buildings. It's an unfair generalization but it seems like everyone we know or meet that were hell-bent on getting into Gilbert were small town Iowa people that made it to the upper middle class and want a shinier version of their small(ish) school. That and their sons are 6.5 before theyre in kindergarten. I'm very happy with Ames schools for our kids. More activity possibilities and sports than they can imagine doing, and academically I can't imagine anything better.

Funny that Gilbert is often ranked nearly equivalent to Ames. Some years a little higher, some a little lower.

And while more choices (activities and athletics) are good, it is harder to be involved in them. Smaller schools offer the opportunity to do more - be a multi sport athlete, play in jazz band, have a role in the school play, etc.

If Gilbert had the space to accept open- enrollment, it would explode. Most of their grades are closed year in and year out. Their growth is move-ins. The limiting factor there is the cost of housing. Most new developments (including what is being built in the town of Gilbert) is north of $300k. Not exactly starter homes.

 

[BillyClone]

Interesting article. What is the answer here for schools like Marshalltown, Ottumwa, Mason City, and Fort Dodge? Fort Dodge in particular is the 15th largest school in the state and this article seems to be making a case that playing in the top division is unfair. I don't foresee a future consisting of only the top 12 schools in the state.

Fort Dodge is 15th largest in the CIML, not in the entire state. It's around 40th in the state.

Ottumwa? I don't know. But schools like Mason City, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Newton, probably need to look at hooking up with Cedar Falls and the 2 Waterloo schools to create a conference outside of the CIML. Travel would be about 2 hours max, but I would think the competition would be more balanced. No playing the super-sized schools of the DSM area. Obviously, football is stuck with districts, but other sports could benefit from a non-CIML conference.

 

[SoapyCy]

This is my understanding of Iowa public school district boundaries. Much of how we think of school districts in Iowa now began in 1965, when the Legislature passed a law requiring that all areas of the state be part of a school district with a high school, finally ending the era of one-room schools. What happened in most places was that many one-room districts combined to create a larger district with a high school. Some of those one-room districts simply were absorbed by larger ones that already had a high school. This is also a simple explanation of why school district boundaries do not follow city boundaries. City boundaries have changed greatly since 1965.

United doesn't have a high school.

 

[IsuStu]

United doesn't have a high school.

Iowa does not require its districts to contain a high school. There are low population districts that choose to operate elementary schools because they are disproportionately cheaper to operate because of the lack of extracurriculars for that age group. This allows the district to keep property tax levies artificially low for their district and by low I mean 8 or 9 dollars per $1000 of assessed value.
The flip side is that some choose to offset this by charging higher income tax surcharges. Most taxpayers don't pay as much attention to this because property taxes get all of the publicity.
I have always been amazed at Iowa's low voter turnout for school board elections because of the taxing authority given to its school districts and the impact it can have on people's yearly tax bill.

 

[SoapyCy]

Iowa does not require its districts to contain a high school. There are low population districts that choose to operate elementary schools because they are disproportionately cheaper to operate because of the lack of extracurriculars for that age group. This allows the district to keep property tax levies artificially low for their district and by low I mean 8 or 9 dollars per $1000 of assessed value.
The flip side is that some choose to offset this by charging higher income tax surcharges. Most taxpayers don't pay as much attention to this because property taxes get all of the publicity.
I have always been amazed at Iowa's low voter turnout for school board elections because of the taxing authority given to its school districts and the impact it can have on people's yearly tax bill.

One post said they do require it. Another says they do not. Seems like there should be a correct answer between the two.

 

[IsuStu]

One post said they do require it. Another says they do not. Seems like there should be a correct answer between the two.

I live in a district that only operates a preK-6 and tuitions-out its 7-12 to Algona.

 

[besserheimerphat]

Funny that Gilbert is often ranked nearly equivalent to Ames. Some years a little higher, some a little lower.

And while more choices (activities and athletics) are good, it is harder to be involved in them. Smaller schools offer the opportunity to do more - be a multi sport athlete, play in jazz band, have a role in the school play, etc.

If Gilbert had the space to accept open- enrollment, it would explode. Most of their grades are closed year in and year out. Their growth is move-ins. The limiting factor there is the cost of housing. Most new developments (including what is being built in the town of Gilbert) is north of $300k. Not exactly starter homes.

When I went to Ames High (Class of 1999) I had a lot of friends involved in many activities. Multi-sport athletes, athletics and chorus/band/orchestra, music and theatre, etc. And also things organized outside of school. My graduating class was just shy of 400. I don't know where everyone gets this idea that at a 4A school you can only do one thing.

 

[Incyte]

These schools need to find a more local coference at a lower level. Newton and indianola seem happy in the Little Hawkeye.

 

[beentherebefore]

The 1965 law required all districts to have a high school. That's where the modern school districts came from (the ones created in 1965). Current law does not require a district to have a high school, but those districts without a high school must be in an agreement with other districts in order for students to attend a high school. Sometimes districts decide to consolidate completely while others do some sort of sharing.