ALGONA — When Superintendent Joe Carter arrived at Algona Community School District three and a half years ago, he came with significant experience in high-performance academics. His tenure of 20 years was solely at the Emmetsburg School District; however, he held positions as middle school teacher and elementary principal, among other positions of responsibility.

“Emmetsburg really prepared me for what was going on here at Algona and the surrounding communities,” said Carter. “As a teacher and principal, I learned quickly that communication is at the forefront of any worthwhile endeavor.”

The first endeavor that Carter faced as Algona’s superintendent was reorganization of that district with Lu Verne. In fact, there had been some aspects of eventual reorganization bubbling since 2014 when the Corwith-Wesley Community School District and Lu Verne began sharing all sports with Algona. In 2015, the Corwith-Wesley CSD was dissolved, and Lu Verne began whole grade sharing grades 7-12 with Algona; in 2018, the sixth grade was moved to the middle school sharing program.

“When I arrived in 2019, the Lu Verne CSD and Algona CSD applied for joint employment incentives from the state of Iowa,” said Carter. “Part of the joint employment process was to show that we were making progress towards reorganization. Looking ahead, combined rural districts were not making great gains in population. Rural flight to large communities sometimes leads to hundreds of new students in some large suburbs, but not in the outlying areas. We had to do something for the health of both districts.

“The first year, we showed what we were sharing. During year two, both boards appointed a reorganization committee to come up with a petition to be placed on the ballot. Year three included the vote for reorganization which was Sept. 13, 2022. The vote passed and our newly formed district included Titonka, Burt, Lu Verne, and Algona.”

Information, according to Carter, had to be communicated well in advance.

“It was monumental to the effort to keep everyone informed. For instance, the taxpayers needed to know that both districts were in good financial shape, but that some towns could see a small tax increase,” said Carter. “They also needed to understand that rural Iowa is losing students and staff at a quickening pace, and this has had potential to really hurt both school districts. Without students and staff, we may struggle to continue to offer the great programs we presently have or even potentially struggle to try to add new ones. Basic needs like custodial and kitchen staff would be hard to fill.”

After reorganizing, the district has almost 1,500 students, 100 teachers, and close to 150 support staff, said Carter.

“We already have amenities like the Ed and Betty Wilcox Performing Arts Center and an athletic gateway project with aspects that foster inclusion,” he said. “More importantly, we have an increased chance of having the staff necessary to teach classes and care for our students in significant ways.

“Now that the vote has been approved and the legal work is done, we can get down to very meaningful work,” continued Carter. “The kids have been together in activities and the classroom for some time now. While this has never been solely about the money, it’s nice to have the financial incentives of reorganization in play for another three years. We are now able to plan beyond this timeframe to provide an enriching environment to meet the needs of all learners. It’s about the kids and giving them the best experience in the best possible environment.”