An automotive technology program is coming to the Regional Rural Technical Center at LaHarpe. USD 257 board members agreed to start the program next fall in partnership with Flint Hills Technical College, Emporia, citing high…

School board president Dan Willis bounced up and down with the excitement of a child as he showed off the gymnasium at Iola Elementary School. “This is probably the biggest elementary gymnasium in Kansas,” he…

A crew from Coonrod & Associates has removed the Jefferson Elementary School bell from the concrete base where it has sat since 1941. It will be taken to Kentucky where it will be refurbished. The…

Construction of a new elementary school may be getting most of the attention these days, but there’s still plenty of work to be done on other aspects related to the 2019 school bond issue. They…

A new Iola Elementary School may still be under construction, but it’s already time to start thinking about how to protect it. USD 257 board members approved a series of expenditures for security measures. Allison…

Opportunities present themselves. Paul Miller has learned that through his experience both as a teacher and a pastor. Last fall, he took advantage of an opportunity to teach wind energy at the Rural Regional Technical…

Iola High School’s graduation rate reached its highest level in years, surpassing the state average for possibly the first time.  Principal Scott Carson last week gave board members an update on graduation rates.  In May…

A bit of cooperation between the city and school district led to a savings of $25,125. The school district plans to install new lighting at the tennis court near Iola High School. At a previous…

As construction progresses on Iola’s new elementary school — it’s scheduled to open in August — the district’s focus shifts once again to the fate of the three existing grade school properties. Bids will be…

Two more Iola schools are now requiring students and staff to wear face masks because of a high number of COVID-19 infections. On Wednesday, Iola High School and Lincoln Elementary School reached the 4% threshold…