The News

School News

Mid-Prairie

Mid-Prairie board approves GO bond sale, FY24-25 budget

WELLMAN The Mid-Prairie school board approved the sale of $8,700,000 in General Obligation bonds Monday night to winning bidder Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Local Hills …

Mid-Prairie's art show

The student staff of West Elementary’s Hawks News presented to the school board on Monday night. Back row, school board members Ryan Schlabaugh, Jed Seward, Gabrielle Frederick, Denise Chittick, Mary Allred, and Randy Billups. Front row, the young journalists.

Mid-Prairie approves cafetorium upgrades, girls wrestling coach

WELLMAN Deteriorating fixtures in the high school cafetorium have been inconvenient to deal with, as well as cause for safety concern for Mid-Prairie’s fine arts students and staff when putting …

Mid-Prairie board gets serious about auditorium

WELLMAN The Mid-Prairie school board’s meeting March 25 consisted primarily of a work session, much of which was a discussion regarding building an auditorium at the high school; however, two …

Highland

Highland sets calendar for 2024-25 school year

RIVERSIDE The first day of school in Highland’s new four-day week will be August 23 for the 2024-25 school year. The school year will end May 28, two days after Memorial Day. The …

Highland School Board appoints Moyer as Business Manager

RIVERSIDE Autumn Moyer, who has worked in human resources at several Eastern Iowa school districts, has been appointed as the new Secretary and Business Manager for the Highland School Board. …

Highland Schools set property tax public hearing for March 25

RIVERSIDE A public hearing for the Highland Community Schools property tax levy covering Fiscal Year 2025 will be held March 25. The proposed tax rate is $13 per $1,000 of property, which …

Highland Schools begins signature drive toward new bond issue

RIVERSIDE The Highland School Board is on the lookout for 100 signatures. A petition, with those signatures, is the first step toward getting a bond referendum on the November 2024 ballot …

Lone Tree

Lone Tree addresses public purpose policy, approves teacher contracts

LONE TREE Lone Tree’s School Board will meet with the Iowa Association of School Boards – IASB – to receive training and guidance for policies 705.4 and 705.4 R1, …

Lone Tree speech, drama students perform for community, take home awards

LONE TREE Lone Tree high school English teacher Tanya McCarty hosted an end-of-year speech and drama award show on Saturday, April 6, to award the students who excelled in speech and drama …

Lone Tree teachers to see pay raise thanks to state legislation

LONE TREE Although contracts have yet to be signed for the 2024-25 school year, Lone Tree teachers should expect raises in the near future, thanks to Iowa legislation that increased teacher …

Lone Tree FFA discusses ‘unfair’ treatment with board

LONE TREE The Lone Tree FFA chapter is exploding on the popular social media app TikTok, with over 2 million views and counting, thanks to the Lone Tree FFA Drive Your Tractor to School Day. The …

Hillcrest Academy

Front row: Marvin Marner, Bette Kauffman, LaVerta Yoder Butterbaugh, Janet Yoder Schulz, Sheryl Yoder Miller, Charlene Yoder Rhodes. Second row: Keith Troyer, Ron Guengerich, Bob Yoder, Marlene Troyer Miller, Bob Miller, Dale Rhodes. Third row: Fred Roth, Jay Brenneman, Leon Graber, Patty Mishler Roswell, Dan Miller, John Gingerich, Wayne Beachy, and Arlen Hershberger.

IMS Class of 1963 Reunion

Sixty years after graduation, class members of 1963 met Sept. 20 and 21 in Homestead, Iowa to see old friends and catch up on what has happened in our lives since last time we met. The setting for …

Peighton Ford's pig photo took first place in the 2023 photography contest

Photo contest offers students gateway to appreciation, connection, and career

KALONA For middle and high school students attending Pathway, Hillcrest Academy, and Mid-Prairie schools (including the home school), the time has come to get out their cameras and submit photos …

Hillcrest Academy FFA and agriculture classes

KALONA The Hillcrest FFA chapter has been considerably busy this Fall. On Sept. 26, 2023, members of the FFA were sent to the Southeast District Soil Judging competition in Muscatine. …

Kirkwood Washington County Regional to host CCHS information night

Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center is excited to announce an upcoming event aimed at providing valuable information to current 8th – 11th grade high school students and their parents about …

Photo Galleries

Photo gallery: Highland Prom 2024

RIVERSIDE Highland hosted their prom on Saturday, April 20. Students lined the halls for a professional photo shoot before walking the stage for the Grand March beginning at 7:30 p.m. Some …

Veterans, student enlistees recognized at Mid-Prairie assembly

Mid-Prairie honored area veterans at their annual Veterans Day Assembly and Luncheon on Friday, Nov. 10. Numerous veterans from the community gathered, each stating their name and what they …

Lone Tree hosts Homecoming Parade, crowns King and Queen

At the end of their school day on Friday, Sept. 22, Lone Tree held a pep rally, crowning their Homecoming King as Ethan Bockelman and Homecoming Queen as Lila Bell. Other homecoming court …

Highland's 2023 homecoming king and queen, Brayden Johnston and Sarah Burton.

Highland celebrates homecoming with "Boom Night" at Riverside

As part of their homecoming festivities Highland held "Boom Night" at Riverside on Sept. 20. The event began with a parade that ended at Hall Park where the rest of the planned activites …

Mid-Prairie's 2023 homecoming queen, Greta Sieren and homecoming king, Parker Ehrenfelt.

Mid-Prairie celebrates homecoming with coronation, parade and more

Mid-Prairie held their homecoming parade on Wednesday, Sept. 13. After the parade finished, festivities transferred to the high school football field where the school held a powderpuff football …