(Radio Iowa) – Books with obscene or graphic sexual content would have to be removed from the libraries in Iowa schools if a bill that’s cleared the Iowa House becomes law. Republican Representative Brook Boden of Indianola says the bill makes it clear sexually explicit content is not age appropriate for students. “I honestly cannot believe that this is a bill that we need to pass, but unfortunately the books that contain images and passages exactly with these sex acts…have been found in Iowa schools,” Boden says. Sixty House Republicans voted for the bill. Three Republicans and all Democrats in the House voted against it. Representative Elinor Levin, a Democrat from Iowa City, says she’s part of the first generation who started learning about sex from the internet.

“Our kids are going to ask questions,” Levin said. “Let’s ensure they have access to good models, as selected by educators, not just the uncurated internet world they have in their pockets.” Representative Sue Cahill, a Democrat from Marshalltown, is a licensed teacher librarian.  “I know the process that we as teacher librarians use to vet our books,” Cahill says. “Yes, there may be some passages that, taken out of context, may seem inappropriate.” Cahill says it’s the literary value of the book as a whole that puts it on the school library shelf. Boden says the bill provides new guardrails for school library books.

“Parents may still read the books of their choice to their own children,” she said. “We are simply setting age appropriate guidelines for K-12 settings, making sure that we protect our children.” Governor Kim Reynolds has a proposal of her own on school library book policies and the Senate has not yet debated the issue.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Washington Elementary School Playground Project in Atlantic, is moving forward, thanks to action taken during Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Atlantic School Board. A public hearing was first held on the proposed contract documents (Plans, specifications, and form of contract) and estimated cost for the playground improvements, during which there were no objections or comments.

The project consists of limited pavement demolition, removal and disposal of existing play equipment and tile surfacing, installation of new equipment, installation and repair of the concrete base, installation of new play surfacing, and site restoration. Snyder and Associates are the engineers for the project. Snyder’s Dave Sturm mentioned bids were received and opened Tuesday. The engineer’s estimated project cost was just under $700,000. Sturm said there were two bids. Both came in well under the estimate. The Board approved a bid from Caliber Concrete of Adair, for $579,442.

Construction will start in mid-July. The goal is to have it finished before the start of the 2023-24 school year.

In other news, the Atlantic School Board passed a Resolution to consider continued participation in the Instructional Support Levy (ISL), which expires June 30, 2024. A renewal of the Levy would allow it to continue until June 30, 2029. The Levy is used to help support classroom curriculum. The District will receive $748,572 from the ISL during the 2023 Fiscal Year.

A Public Hearing on the ISL renewal will be held March 29, 5:30-p.m. The School Board Wednesday, approved a 33-cent PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy), the funds for which are used for building repairs, vehicles and technology.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School District received good news, Wednesday afternoon, with regard to a potential Welding Apprenticeship Program. Superintendent Steve Barber said they received an e-mail from the Department of Labor….

In December, Mr. Barber reported the District has an internal team that has worked extensively to get a registered apprenticeship in the area of welding.

The team tasked with bringing the program to AHS is planning to travel to Pella to learn more about their program.

The Welding Program would be the District’s first apprenticeship program. Once students complete the program, they will receive national credentials.

In other business, Mr. Barber said he’s learned also the new greenhouse should be ready to get growing soon.

In 2021, the Board approved the financial support of up to $100,000 to fund the construction of a new 30 x 48′ Greenhouse on a space south of the Ag room.

(Near Cumberland-Massena, Iowa) – Rescue crews in Cass County were dispatched to a three vehicle accident this morning. The collision occurred at around 8-a.m. near 76686 Richland Road. Dispatch reports indicated one-person had an arm injury. Cumberland and Massena Fire/Rescue were called to the scene. Additional details are not available,

(Radio Iowa) Governor Kim Reynolds has named an eastern Iowa native who’s been a leader in the national school choice movement to be the next director of the Iowa Department of Education.

Chad Aldis is a 1990 graduate of Clinton High School. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he worked for Florida legislators, then as an administrator in the Florida Department of Education. Aldis then moved to Ohio and was executive director of School Choice Ohio for nearly four years. For the past nine-and-a-half years, he’s been with a national think tank that advocates for charter schools and the kind of state funded savings accounts for private school expenses that Iowa’s governor recently signed into law.

Governor Reynolds says this is a pivotal time for Iowa’s education system and Aldis will help lead reform efforts. Aldis says he shares the governor’s vision and will focus on ensuring all students leave high school with the knowledge and skills to prepare them for college or a career.

Aldis earned a degree in economics from the University of Mississippi and a law degree from Florida State University. Aldis is replacing Ann Lebo who announced recently she was resigning as Iowa Department of Education director after nearly three years in the position. His first day on the job is March 15th.