EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

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AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES

Legislation creating the Area Education Agency (AEA) system placed Iowa among the nation's leaders in establishing regional, intermediate educational service units. In 1974, Senate File 1163 transformed the 79 county or joint county school systems into 15 AEAs, sharing common boundaries with Iowa's 16 area vocational-technical schools and community colleges. In 1982, the legislature allowed for the area education agency boundaries to be different than those of the community colleges and vocational-technical schools.

The move to establish area education agencies was based on the need to provide equitable educational services from district to district. The Iowa General Assembly established the system of AEAs to "provide an effective and economical means of identifying and serving children from under five years of age though grade twelve who require special education." AEAs offer programs and services that individual school districts may not be able to provide as efficiently, if at all.

Legislation defines the services of AEAs to pertain to three general areas: special education, media services, and educational services. Each of these services must be available to public and non-public school students. In addition, each AEA must have a media center containing a lending library of print and non-print materials, a professional library, a curriculum laboratory, media production capabilities, and a means of delivering materials. AEAs have become increasingly important in helping local districts meet new expectations for curriculum development, staff development, and long-range planning.

Each AEA is governed by a board of directors elected by local school districts. Each board member represents a director district, a geographic portion of the area which may contain one or several school districts. The number of director districts in each AEA varies from five to nine. The boards of directors annually approve budgets and program plans before submission to the Department of Education, and establish educational policy and administrative regulations.

Iowa's AEAs are funded by legislatively-controlled amounts of property tax dollars and state aid which "flow through" local school district budgets to the AEAs. Revenue comes directly to the AEAs from the state comptroller, but the amount appears in the budget of each district. In addition, AEAs may receive state and federal grants for specific projects, and may also provide some services on a contract basis for which tuition and fees may be assessed.

Area Education Agency 1 (Keystone)

Administrative Center, Elkader; 319/245-1480

www.aea1.k12.ia.us

Counties: Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek. Board president, John Ganshirt; administrator, Donald W. Mueller, Ph.D. Assessed valuation: $5,619,403,056 for 1997. Population of area education agency:

204,420 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 5,056 square miles. Size of area education board: 9. Number of local districts: 25. School enrollment: public - 33,924, non-public - 6,671. Enrollment figures are as of September 1998.

Area Education Agency 2 (Northern Trails)

Administrative Center, Clear Lake; 515/357-6125

www.aea2.k12.ia.us

Counties: Butler, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Mitchell, Winnebago, Worth, and Wright. Board president, David Stevens; chief administrator, Dr. Dean Meier. Assessed valuation: $3,866,292,039 for 1997. Population of area education agency: 123,427 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 3,721 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 9. Number of local districts: 24. School enrollment: public - 21,928, non-public - 1,301. Enrollment figures are as of September 1998.

Area Education Agency 3 (Lakeland)

Administrative Center, Cylinder; 712/424-3211;

Website: www.aea3.k12.ia.us

Counties: Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, and Palo Alto. Board president, Dean Saunders; administrator, Dr. Albert N. Wood. Assessed valuation: $2,834,236,243 for 1997. Population of area education agency: 73,419 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 2,874 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 7. Number of local districts: 19. School enrollment: public - 12,720, non-public - 1,033. Enrollment figures are as of September 1998.

Area Education Agency 4

Administrative Center, Sioux Center; 712/722-4378

www.aea4.k12.ia.us

Counties: Cherokee, Lyon, O'Brien, Osceola, and Sioux. Board president, Karen Roed; administrator, J. Gary Hayden. Assessed valuation: $2,334,516,437 for 1997. Population of area education agency: 67,436 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 2,528 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 7. Number of local districts: 14. School enrollment: public - 11,018, non-public - 3,341. Enrollment figures are as of September 1999.

Area Education Agency 5 (Arrowhead)

Administrative Center, Fort Dodge; 515/574-5500

www.aea5.k12.ia.us

Counties: Buena Vista, Calhoun, Greene, Hamilton, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Sac, Webster, and Wright. Board president, Melvin Haden; administrator, William J. Garner. Assessed valuation: $4,884,384,913 for 1997. Population of area education agency: 141,406 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 5,122 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 9. Number of local districts: 31. School enrollment: public - 25,380, non-public - 2,003. Enrollment figures are as of September 1998.

Area Education Agency 6

Adminstrative Center, Marshalltown; 515/753-3564

www.aea6.k12.ia.us

Counties: Grundy, Hardin, Marshall, Poweshiek, and Tama. Board president, Susan Klaessy; administrator, Richard Ploeger. Assessed valuation: $2,,919,323,456 for 1999. Population of area education agency: 92,697 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 2,570 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 7. Number of local districts: 15. School enrollment: public - 16,521 , non-public - 501. Enrollment figures are as of September 1998.

Area Education Agency 7

Adminstrative Center, Cedar Falls; 319/273-8200

www.aea7.k12.ia.us

Counties: Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Grundy, and Tama. Board president, Terry Fairchild; administrator, Ronald C. Dickinson. Assessed valuation: $4,476,457,178 for 1997. Population of area education agency: 195,443 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 2,744 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 9. Number of local districts: 23. School enrollment: public - 32,360, Malcom Price Laboratory School - 554, non-public - 3,754. Enrollment figures are as of September 1998.

Area Education Agency 9 (Mississippi Bend)

Adminstrative Center, Bettendorf; 319/359-1371

www.aea9.k12.ia.us

Counties: Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott. Board president, Tom Meilnik; administrator, Dr. Glenn M. Pelecky. Assessed valuation: $7,548,493,784 for 1998. Population of area education agency: 270,749 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 2,440 square miles. Size of area education board: 9. Number of local districts: 22. School enrollment: public - 51,955, non-public - 4,282. Enrollment figures are as of Sept. 1998.

Area Education Agency 10 (Grant Wood)

Adminstrative Center, Cedar Rapids; 319/399-6700

www.aea10.k12.ia.us

Counties: Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington. Board president, Lynne Cannon; administrator, Ronald S. Fielder. Assessed valuation: $11,283,658 for 1998. Population of area education agency: 355,330 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 4,340 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 9. Number of local districts: 33. School enrollment: public - 63,338, non-public - 4,740. Enrollment figures are as of Sept. 1998.

Area Education Agency 11 (Heartland)

Administrative Center, Johnston; 515/270-9030;

www.aea11.k12.ia.us

Counties: Audubon, Boone, Carroll, Dallas, Guthrie, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Polk, Story, and Warren. Board president, Anton Netusil; administrator, Wayne Rand. Assessed valuation: $17,384,947,908 for 1997. Population of area education agency: 610,972 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 6,528 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 9. Number of local districts: 56. School enrollment: public - 113,125, non-public - 8,008. Enrollment figures are as of September 1998.

Area Education Agency 12 (Western Hills)

Adminstrative Center, Sioux City; 712/274-6000;

www.aea12.k12.ia.us

Counties: Cherokee, Crawford, Ida, Monona, Plymouth, and Woodbury. Board president, Larry Petersen; administrator, Bruce E. Hopkins, Ph.D. Assessed valuation: $4,544,256,053 for 1997. Population of area education agency: 164,617. Size of area education agency: 3,802 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 9. Number of local districts: 24. School enrollment: public - 31,088 non-public - 3,567. Enrollment figures are as of September 1998.

Area Education Agency 13 (Loess Hills)

Administrative Center, Council Bluffs; 712/366-0503

Counties: Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby. Board president, Marilyn Fox; chief administrator, James E. Blietz, Ed.D. Assessed valuation: 4,681,546,463 for 1998. Population of area education agency: 165,358 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 4,652 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 9. Number of local districts: 31. School enrollment: public - 33,329, non-public - 1535. Enrollment figures are as of Sept. 1998.

Area Education Agency 14 (Green Valley)

Administrative Center, Creston; 515/782-8443

Counties: Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Montgomery, Ringgold, Taylor, and Union. Board president, Maurice Jones; administrator, Dr. Bob L. Steele. Assessed valuation: $1,855,528,213 for 1997. Population of area education agency: 65,448 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 3,854 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 8. Number of local districts: 22. School enrollment: public - 12,349, non-public - 108. Enrollment figures are as of September 1996.

Area Education Agency 15 (Southern Prairie)

Administrative Center, Ottumwa; 515/682-8591

www.aea15.k12.ia.us

Counties: Appanoose, Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lucas, Mahaska, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello, and Wayne. Board president, Harold L. Mick; administrator, Harold W. Westra. Assessed valuation: $3,394,240,165 for 1997. Population of area education agency: 136,533 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 4,758 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 9. Number of local districts: 24. School enrollment: public - 24,040, non-public - 980. Enrollment figures are as of September 1998.

Area Education Agency 16 (Great River)

Adminstrative Center, Burlington; 319/753-6561;

www.aea16.k12.ia.us

Counties: Des Moines, Henry, Lee, and a portion of Louisa. Board president, Thomas Zimmerman; administrator, Robert L. Bonta. Assessed valuation: $2,499,232,665 for 1997. Population of area education agency, 106,242 based on 1990 census. Size of area education agency: 1,604 square miles. Size of area education agency board: 5. Number of local districts: 13. School enrollment: public - 20,915, non-public - 1,403. School enrollment figures are as of FY 1999.