It’s been a busy summer for the Iola school district’s maintenance crew. They moved out of four buildings — three elementary schools and fifth grade at the middle school — and into one new building…

One year after the 2014 school bond issue was soundly defeated, then-school board president Tony Leavitt recruited Dan Willis to run for a seat on the board. “I wish I could say it was all…

The arrival of the 2022-23 school year offers up the first big test at Iola Elementary School: safely and efficiently depositing 500 or so students each day at a single building. With classes set to…

The USD 257 budget will include a slight tax rate increase, mostly because the district is receiving less state aid.  At Monday night’s meeting, school board members reviewed next year’s budget, which calls for raising…

Turns out there’s still a lot of need for old school buildings. Since USD 257 moved out of three older elementary schools, two agencies have asked to use the buildings.  On Monday, the ANW Special…

Over half of local students qualify for free or reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches.   That’s 679 students whose families meet the income guidelines for determining eligibility for Child Nutrition Benefits.  For this coming school…

A nighttime view of the new Iola Elementary School offers a striking view from the west. An open house is planned from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16. Classes start on Aug. 17. Enrollment…

There’s no going back now. Crews started moving into the new Iola Elementary School on Wednesday morning, even as construction continued throughout the building. The plan for an Aug. 16 open house, with the first…

School starts in about a month. That fact alone might raise the anxiety level of most students, parents and teachers. For those in USD 257, it’s even more daunting. There’s just a handful of weeks…

Students in the Iola school district will be able to get health care at school next year.  On a split 4-3 vote, the USD 257 board approved a plan with Community Health Center of Southeast…