STOCKPORT, IOWA -- For many students in Southeast Iowa, Thursday was the final day of the school year; for one middle school, it was the final day of being operational.
The Van Buren Community School district decided earlier this year to close and move the middle school in Stockport, IA to the high school in Keosauqua, IA. Officials with the district say that this is a cost-cutting move and that to have the middle and high school under one roof will help enrich the educational environment.
KTVO spoke with current middle school Principal Chuck Banks Thursday morning. Banks reiterated to us that this is the best thing for his students and the community.
“It’s just about the best thing for the kids. We enjoy our middle school and really like what is going on here; and our hope is that we take the things we’ve learned here to the building in Keosauqua, and continue with the good things we’ve got going on,” said Banks.
Principal Banks is excited about the move. Banks told KTVO that having all the students under one roof will help all of them in the long-term. Banks’ plan is to have the older students mentor the younger students, which will help provide a cohesive learning environment.
One issue that any district would be worried about when making a big decision like this; is to have the community on-board. Principal Banks feels that he has their support.
“We feel very fortunate, we’ve had a lot of great support from the families and from the kids and from the community. It’s a tough decision that nobody wanted to make, but I think people understand it’s the decision that had to be made. So, it will be tough and it will be a change for everyone, but as a community we are ready to move forward,” said Banks.
Principal Banks will be the new principal at the junior-senior high school. The current principal has accepted a new position in a neighboring district.
One point that Principal Banks did want to make is that, having a students spend six years with the same group of teachers and administrators is not only going to help them transition with their education, it will also create a close bond between the student and the staff.
Finally, the incoming 6th graders that were expecting to start at the middle school this coming school year will have to wait one more year. The district decided to keep them at the elementary school.
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