Clarion-Goldfield School District
Encyclopedia
Clarion-Goldfield Community School District is a public school district located in North Central Iowa
, in Wright
, Hamilton
, and Humboldt
Counties. The district covers 254 square miles (657.9 km²), covering the communities of Clarion
, Goldfield
, and Galt
and the unincorporated communities of Holmes and Lake Cornelia. Clarion-Goldfield has a certified enrollment of 787 students in grades K-12. Dows has 139 students in grades K-12. Generally, enrollment increased throughout the 1990s and remained steady. The last three years has seen declining enrollment in the district, but some of that has been offset by whole grade sharing with Dows and more students open enrolling into the district then out.
The district maintains an elementary school (K-5), middle school (6-8), and high school, all located in Clarion.
In 2005, the Dows Community School District entered into a ten year whole grade sharing agreement with Clarion-Goldfield. Dows maintains a K-5 elementary school and sends students in grades 6-12 to Clarion. The districts also share a superintendent, curriculum coordinator, principal, board secretary, and other personnel.
In 1993, a bond issue was passed and the 1913 high school building was demolished. A new main entrance to the middle school was built where the buildings were attached and a circle drive was completed to add more paring and better access to both the entrances to the elementary and middle schools. An addition was built north of the elementary school that includes a new library media center, ICN room, two computer labs, additional classroom space, and multipurpose room (cafeteria and gym). Extensive renovations were completed to the 1936 elementary building and the kindergarten wing (east elementary addition).
In 2002, a north addition was completed to the middle school that included four additional classrooms. In 2004 an expansion and renovation project was completed at the high school that included four new locker rooms, additional athletic office and storage space, wrestling room, art room, pottery room, business room, and two computer labs. The project also installed geothermal heating and cooling to the high school facility.
In 2007 an extensive renovation project was completed to the 1956 middle school. This project involved new ceilings and lighting, floor tiles, paint, lockers, doors, cupboards, cabinets, marker boards, and builletin boards. An addition was built that houses a new main office, principal's office, teacher workroom, and freight room. By renovating existing space, three additional classrooms were added to the middle school.
In 2008 an extensive renovation and expansion was completed at the high school. The "academic wing" of the high school was renovated. New and renovated facilities included a library media center, computer lab, seven additional classrooms, chemistry/physics lab, biology lab, athletic entrance, and office space.
Today, the students in grades P/K-8 attend classes in the elementary/middle school complex while the high school (9-12) is located in the northeast corner of town. Dows students attend grades P/K-5 at Dows and 6-12 at Clarion.
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, in Wright
Wright County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,229 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,529 housing units, of which 5,625 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Hamilton
Hamilton County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,673 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,219 housing units, of which 6,540 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, and Humboldt
Humboldt County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,815 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,684 housing units, of which 4,209 were occupied.-2000 census:...
Counties. The district covers 254 square miles (657.9 km²), covering the communities of Clarion
Clarion, Iowa
Clarion is a city in and the county seat of Wright County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,968 at the 2000 census.Clarion is the birthplace of the four-leaf clover emblem used by the 4-H Clubs of America, conceived of in 1907 by the local school superintendent, O.H...
, Goldfield
Goldfield, Iowa
Goldfield is a city in Wright County, Iowa, United States. The population was 680 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Goldfield's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 42.734708, -93.920163...
, and Galt
Galt, Iowa
Galt is a city in Wright County, Iowa, United States. The population was 30 at the 2000 census.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 30 people, 15 households, and 12 families residing in the city. The population density was 55.8 people per square mile . There were 17 housing units at...
and the unincorporated communities of Holmes and Lake Cornelia. Clarion-Goldfield has a certified enrollment of 787 students in grades K-12. Dows has 139 students in grades K-12. Generally, enrollment increased throughout the 1990s and remained steady. The last three years has seen declining enrollment in the district, but some of that has been offset by whole grade sharing with Dows and more students open enrolling into the district then out.
The district maintains an elementary school (K-5), middle school (6-8), and high school, all located in Clarion.
History
The Clarion and Goldfield School Districts began a whole grade sharing agreement, the first in the state, in 1981. Under that agreement, students Goldfield students attended classes at both Clarion and Goldfield while both districts maintained separate K-8 school systems. In 1986, the sharing agreement was expanded and all students in grades 6-12 attended Clarion. Clarion and Goldfield maintained separate elementary schools. In 1993, the districts passed a merger that consolidated them into the Clarion-Goldfield Community School District. An elementary school was maintained in Goldfield until declining enrollment forced the closure of the Goldfield Elementary in 2008. The Goldfield building is still used for athletic events and practices, as a community center, and houses the Iowa Central Community College nursing program.In 2005, the Dows Community School District entered into a ten year whole grade sharing agreement with Clarion-Goldfield. Dows maintains a K-5 elementary school and sends students in grades 6-12 to Clarion. The districts also share a superintendent, curriculum coordinator, principal, board secretary, and other personnel.
Facilities
In 1913, the community of Clarion built a new high school located in south of where the middle school stands today. In 1936, the current two-story elementary school was constructed on the same grounds. Two additions to the elementary school were completed in the 1950s, with what is now the middle school (north addition to the 1913 high school) being completed in 1956. At that time, the entire K-12 Clarion Community School was housed in the same complex. In 1969, a new high school was built in the northeast corner of Clarion where it stands today.In 1993, a bond issue was passed and the 1913 high school building was demolished. A new main entrance to the middle school was built where the buildings were attached and a circle drive was completed to add more paring and better access to both the entrances to the elementary and middle schools. An addition was built north of the elementary school that includes a new library media center, ICN room, two computer labs, additional classroom space, and multipurpose room (cafeteria and gym). Extensive renovations were completed to the 1936 elementary building and the kindergarten wing (east elementary addition).
In 2002, a north addition was completed to the middle school that included four additional classrooms. In 2004 an expansion and renovation project was completed at the high school that included four new locker rooms, additional athletic office and storage space, wrestling room, art room, pottery room, business room, and two computer labs. The project also installed geothermal heating and cooling to the high school facility.
In 2007 an extensive renovation project was completed to the 1956 middle school. This project involved new ceilings and lighting, floor tiles, paint, lockers, doors, cupboards, cabinets, marker boards, and builletin boards. An addition was built that houses a new main office, principal's office, teacher workroom, and freight room. By renovating existing space, three additional classrooms were added to the middle school.
In 2008 an extensive renovation and expansion was completed at the high school. The "academic wing" of the high school was renovated. New and renovated facilities included a library media center, computer lab, seven additional classrooms, chemistry/physics lab, biology lab, athletic entrance, and office space.
Today, the students in grades P/K-8 attend classes in the elementary/middle school complex while the high school (9-12) is located in the northeast corner of town. Dows students attend grades P/K-5 at Dows and 6-12 at Clarion.