Highland Community School District

The Highland Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in unincorporated Washington County, Iowa,[2] that serves Riverside and Ainsworth and surrounding rural areas. Currently there are about 650 students enrolled.

Highland Community School District
Location
Riverside, Iowa and Ainsworth, Iowa

United States
District information
TypePublic
Motto"Home of the Huskies"
GradespreK-12
Established1963
SuperintendentKen Crawford (shared with Lone Tree)
Schools3
Students and staff
Students655 (K-12)
Teachers54
Staff44
Athletic conferenceSEISC
District mascotHighland Husky
ColorsRed, Black, and White      
Other information
Cities servedRiverside and Ainsworth, Iowa
Mission StatementProvide all students the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills to fulfill their potential and become positive contributors to society.[1]
YearbookThe Highlander
Websitehttp://www.highlandhuskies.org

The district covers much of eastern Washington County and a small portion of southern Johnson County.[3] The high school and middle school are connected in one building, also housing the district headquarters, located between Riverside and Ainsworth in an unincorporated area in Washington County.[4][5] The elementary school is located in Riverside.[6]

History

The district was formed in 1963 as the consolidation of Riverside and Ainsworth schools.

In 2018, the Lone Tree Community School District administration announced that the district will begin sharing a superintendent with the Highland district.[7]

Schools

Highland Elementary School

Located in Riverside, Highland Elementary is the district's sole elementary school, housing grades Kindergarten through fifth. The school also provides a preschool program for children ages four and five. Formerly known as Riverside Elementary, the school was renamed Highland Elementary in 2017 when Ainsworth Elementary closed and all elementary-aged students in the district consolidated into one school.[8]

Highland Middle School

Highland Middle School is the single middle school in the district. The school opened in the fall of 2003, with one addition and remodeling project since. It is connected to Highland High School. It is located in the rural area between Riverside and Ainsworth at 1715 Vine Avenue. The school serves grades 6 through 8.[9]

Highland High School

Highland High School, the sole high school in the district, serves grades 9 through 12. The building was built in 1965, with renovations and additions since then. A connection to the middle school allows the sharing of some courses between schools. It is currently a 1A school in athletics and extracurricular activities.[10]

Athletics

The Huskies compete in the Southeast Iowa Superconference in the following sports:[11]

  • Cross Country
  • Volleyball
  • Football
  • Wrestling
  • Basketball
  • Bowling
  • Track and Field
  • Golf
  • Soccer
  • Baseball
  • Softball
    • 2007 Class 1A State Champions[12]

Former Schools

From 1963 to 2017, the district operated two elementary schools. One school was located in Ainsworth with the other located in Riverside.

The most recent Ainsworth Elementary building was constructed in 1973 and received renovations and an expansion in 1999. Circa 2001 it had about 120 students.[13] Due to declining enrollment and increased costs, the Highland Board of Education made the decision to close the Ainsworth school at the conclusion of the 2016-2017 school year. Starting the fall of 2017, all elementary students in the district began to attend school in Riverside, which was renamed Highland Elementary.[14] In 2017 Ainsworth Elementary had 70 students. District leadership stated that it would have had to spend upkeep of $50,000 if it remained open.[15]

Prior to the opening of the middle school in 2003, seventh through twelfth grade students in the district attended the Highland Junior-Senior High School, which was located at the current-day high school site. Sixth grade students attended either Ainsworth or Riverside Elementary School.

See also

References
  1. http://www.highland.k12.ia.us Highland Community School District mission statement
  2. Home. Highland Community School District. Retrieved on June 21, 2018. "Highland CSD 1715 Vine Avenue Riverside, Iowa 52327"
  3. "Highland." Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved on June 21, 2018.
  4. Home. Highland Middle School. Retrieved on June 21, 2018. "Highland Middle School 1715 Vine Ave. Riverside, Iowa 52327"
  5. Home. Highland High School. Retrieved on June 21, 2018. "Highland High School 1715 Vine Ave. Riverside, Iowa 52327"
  6. Home. Highland Elementary School. Retrieved on June 21, 2018. "Highland Elementary School 220 Schnoebelen St. Riverside, Iowa 52327"
  7. Fickau, Ethan (2018-01-08). "Districts to share superintendent, avoid merging". KCRG. Retrieved 2018-06-21.
  8. Cerwinske, Joe (2017-02-13). "BREAKING NEWS: Ainsworth Elementary Officially Closing its Doors | KCII Radio | The One to Count on". kciiradio.com. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  9. http://www.highland.k12.ia.us/vnews/display.v/ART/483c4ce6e6eb4 Archived 2011-10-04 at the Wayback Machine Middle School, Highland, accessed September 17, 2010.
  10. http://www.highland.k12.ia.us/vnews/display.v/SEC/High%20School Archived 2011-06-02 at the Wayback Machine High School, Highland, accessed November 8, 2010.
  11. "Southeast Iowa Superconference". Southeast Iowa Superconference. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  12. "Highland". Iowa High School Sports. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  13. Home. Ainsworth Elementary School. March 21, 2001. Retrieved on June 21, 2018.
  14. Bourgeois, Jake (2017-02-16). "Featured - Kalona news - A tearful decision - Ainsworth Elementary School to close". The Kalona News. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  15. "Two eastern Iowa elementary schools closing". KCRG. 2017-02-13. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
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