A school community torn apart, literally and figuratively...
With close to 67% of the districts in the state having less than 750 students K-12, it might seem that rural Iowa school Aplington-Parkersburg is not all that different from others like it. This couldn't be further from the truth.
Located in the northeastern part of Iowa in Butler County, the high school has approximately 240 students and the students enjoy a 1:14 teacher-to-student ratio. It is called Aplington-Parkersburg because it consolidates the school population in the two towns (as well as a few surrounding towns). This sort of thing is not unusual for schools in Iowa. What sets the APHS community apart from others is its resilience, determination, and heart.
Over the last 16 months, this district has seen its high school destroyed by a devastating F5 tornado, revered and beloved educator Ed Thomas gunned down by former student Mark Becker, and, like all schools in the state of Iowa, a mandatory 1.5% cut in their budget. In some cases, this might be enough to put a permanent dent in the collective conscience of a community. While they still might be emotionally scarred from the events in the last year and a half, they still understand how important their school is to their community. The people of Aplington-Parkersburg identified the school as being the center of their community, and they rallied together to show support for one another in these times of crisis. After their school was destroyed in May, they held fundraisers and worked together to build a new one. When the new high school was completed in early August, over 100 community members volunteered to help move furniture and supplies into the new facility. In the aftermath of Ed Thomas's murder, hundreds - if not thousands - of people turned out to pay their respects and help one another through their loss. In the end, things may not be the way they were before, but they are all stronger and more connected to one another than ever before.
Best of luck for this upcoming school year, Falcons. We're all behind you.
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