Lucius Pham
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Iowa Public Radio
In 1861, 32 high school students and two teachers in Rippey, Iowa, left their school to enlist in the Union Army. Present-day high school students in Greene County led an effort to remember the soldiers’ story.
Maura Curran
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Iowa Public Radio
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Kids are back to school, but for Iowa's public schools, things have gotten more challenging. Public school funding hasn't kept pace with inflation, and many districts are losing students and the funds that come with them. On this episode, we check in with school districts around the state — Des Moines, Creston, Cedar Rapids and Sumner-Fredericksburg. We discuss how these school districts have been navigating the strained budget and their plans moving forward. -
Renowned authors and hundreds of Iowans gathered in Waterloo over the weekend to show resistance to public school book bans. The event was organized by the 1619 Freedom School, a program cofounded by Nikole Hannah-Jones to boost children’s literacy in the community. -
Des Moines Public Schools and Lutheran Services in Iowa’s Global Greens program are collaborating on a new community garden. The space was created to revitalize the school's agriscience program, which shut down in 2025 due to low enrollment.
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Parents are pushing back against screens in the classroom and in Iowa, the law is now on their side. We get insights from an Iowa City parent, a pediatrician and a coordinator with the University of Northern Iowa's TEACH Studio, who shares where technology fits into the classroom. Then, we hear from a family medicine physician about the physician shortage in Iowa and what's being done about it. -
Ian Roberts admitted that he falsely claimed citizenship when he was hired by Des Moines Public Schools. He faces deportation to his native Guyana after he serves his sentence. -
Charter school students have more access to classes and services through their home district under a bill signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds.
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New student loan limits are set to hit Iowa families as tuition costs keep climbing. On this Newsbuzz edition of River to River, we look at how universities are preparing with The Gazette's Vanessa Miller. The Economist's Hollie Berman shares recent reporting on Iowa farmers' support for President Trump amid economic uncertainty. IPR's James Kelley shares updates on Google’s planned data center in Palo. Plus, the latest from the Statehouse with Robin Opshahl, and we groove into the weekend with Studio One’s Tressa Glass.
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The Cedar Rapids school board voted to close six schools in an effort to right-size the district’s finances. District officials said they see it as an opportunity to give students the best chance at a high-quality public education as the district faces pressure from state-funded education savings accounts and new charter schools opening nearby. -
For the last century, Roosevelt High School’s synchronized swimming team has fostered a community for women both in and out of the water. This year marks the Sharks’ 100th anniversary, making them the oldest club of their kind.
