Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

MS 145
Iowa School Organization, Inc.
Records, 1956-1977, n.d.

Descriptive summary

creator:	Iowa School Organization, Inc.
title:	Records
dates:	1956-1977, n.d.
extent:	1.26 linear ft. (3 document boxes)
collection number:	MS 145
repository:	Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

Administrative information

access:	Open for research
publication rights:	Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:	Iowa School Organization, Inc. Records, MS 145, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

Historical note

The Iowa School Organization, Inc. was formed in 1957 in southwestern Iowa to work against school reorganization and to support the idea that control of the standards, direction and financing of schools should remain in the hands of local school boards and districts. The organization's Articles of Incorporation (1957), state that "the objects, powers, and purposes of this corporation shall be educational in character and shall be for the purpose of maintaining control of schools and educational institutions by the local community." Throughout the following two decades, the organization's main campaigns dealt with the possibility of forced reorganization and school spending. They sent out surveys in 1972 to schools in each county asking for opinions on reorganization, student transportation, sharing teachers and transportation, and ways to reduce school spending.

In addition, the Iowa School Organization believed that the size and boundaries of school districts should be determined by local school boards and supported local control of education as opposed to the tendency to give most decisions affecting education to state educational agencies. For instance, in 1964, the board of directors for the Lewis School District (located in Council Bluffs, Iowa) filed a lawsuit against Paul F. Johnson, superintendent of public instruction in the state of Iowa at the time, stating that he was abusing his power by threatening to remove the school district from the list of state approved schools. The case was taken before the Iowa Supreme Court with a ruling in favor of the school district. The Iowa School Organization supported the Board of Directors for the Lewis School District.

The organization's home office was in Lewis, Iowa. In July of 1997, the Iowa Secretary of State's Office terminated the Iowa School Organization's status as a domestic non-profit.

Collection description

The collection (1956-1977, n.d.) contains articles of incorporation, news articles, news clippings, letters to the editor, bulletins, pamphlets, correspondence, statistical information, surveys and questionnaires. There are several articles written by Iowa school superintendents outlining how restructuring would most benefit Iowa's school system and also some articles urging Iowans to oppose redistricting. Other printed materials include documents printed by the Iowa School Organization and other organizations.

In addition, this collection contains two questionnaires with copies filled out and several blank copies. The questionnaires include a standard questionnaire sent to each county in Iowa asking questions about statewide school spending, budget issues, and bussing and another questionnaire sent to schools that had been placed on the probationary or unapproved list. Tabulated results for the questionnaires on school spending are also included. It is unclear whether there are results to the second questionnaire or whether it was just a general probe survey. Both questionnaires were distributed by the Iowa School Organization.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Dates
1	1	Articles: Dr. Edwin Barbour, superintendent, Area V Iowa Central Community College (Fort Dodge) - The Special Service Agency: How Can It Best Be Structured?	n.d.
1	2	Articles: William H. Dreier, University of Northern Iowa, Project 5052 - Legislation Must Give Leadership to Iowa Present School Systems	1968
1	3	Articles: Perry H. Grier, superintendent, Joint County System of Black Hawk and Buchanan County Schools - The Special Service Agency: How Can It Best Be Structured?	n.d.
1	4	Articles: Eva Kelly (Fonda) - Help Your Schools, Your Town, Your Democracy to Survive	n.d.
1	5	Articles: Leonard D. Parrish, Education in the Year 2000	n.d.
1	6	Articles: Ray Stephens, The Name of the Game is Negotiation, in The Iowa School Board Bulletin	1968
1	7	Articles: Russell Turner, The National Education Association and the School Grab in The American Mercury	1956
1	8	Articles of Incorporation	1957
1	9	Mailing list	n.d.
1	10	School survey: reducing school spending	1972
1	11	Supreme Court decision in the suit brought by the Lewis Consolidated School District of Cass County, Iowa and Board of Directors of Lewis Consolidated School District against Paul F. Johnston, Iowa State superintendent of Public Instruction and Iowa State Board of Public Instruction	1964
1	12	Correspondence	1963-1973
1	13	Educational Bulletin, V. 37 no. 8-9	1968
1	14	Election of State Board of Public Instruction members and appointment of state superintendent	n.d.
1	15	"The Great Plains Organization Study: A Proposal to Redistrict the Schools of Iowa - Common Sense Facts on Redistricting"	n.d.
1	16	Great Plains School District Organization Report - A Design for Educational Organization in Iowa Summary	n.d.
1	17	Iowa School Standards bill proposal	n.d.
1	18	Legislative Recommendations of the Iowa State Board of Public Instruction	1964
1	19	Letters to the Editor	1977
1	20	State Department of Public Instruction: list of tuition costs per year of Iowa's twenty two largest districts	1967-1968
1	21	Newspaper clippings: includes Iowa School Organization	1963-1971
1	22	Outline of education in Iowa	1968
1	23	Pamphlets: Dr. Conant looks at American High Schools, What is wrong with our schools?	1958-1962
1	24	Principles of Iowa School Organization	1975, n.d.
1	25	Major problem areas in need of legislative attention by Iowa Department of Public Instruction, Paul F. Johnston (superintendent)	1964
1	26	Publication by the Iowa Department of Public Instruction, Paul F. Johnston, superintendent (no title)	1961
1	27	Iowa School Organization: school resolutions and list of signatures	1965
1	28	Signs of the Times - editorial reprint of the Fonda, Iowa Times	1965
1	29	Article: What is going on in the educational picture in Iowa?	n.d.
1	30	Article: What next in education?	n.d.
1	31	Newspaper clippings: Iowa School Organization	n.d.
1	32	Questionnaires: Adair, Adams, Allamakee, Appanoose	1969
1	33	Questionnaires: Audubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone	1969
1	34	Questionnaires: Bremer, Buchanan, Buena Vista, Butler	1969
1	35	Questionnaires: Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Cedar	1969
1	36	Questionnaires: Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clarke	1969
1	37	Questionnaires: Clay, Clayton, Clinton, Crawford	1969
1	38	Questionnaires: Dallas, Davis, Decatur, Delaware	1969
1	39	Questionnaires: Des Moines, Dickinson, Dubuque, Emmet	1969
1	40	Questionnaires: Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Fremont	1969
2	1	Questionnaires: Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hamilton	1969
2	2	Questionnaires: Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry	1969
2	3	Questionnaires: Howard, Humboldt, Ida, Iowa	1969
2	4	Questionnaires: Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson	1969
2	5	Questionnaires: Jones, Keokuk, Kossuth, Lee	1969
2	6	Questionnaires: Linn, Louisa, Lucas, Lyon	1969
2	7	Questionnaires: Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall	1969
2	8	Questionnaires: Mills, Mitchell, Monona, Monroe	1969
2	9	Questionnaires: Montgomery, Muscatine, O'Brien, Osceola	1969
2	10	Questionnaires: Page, Palo Alta, Plymouth, Pocahontas	1969
2	11	Questionnaires: Polk, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Ringgold	1969
2	12	Questionnaires: Sac, Scott, Shelby, Sioux	1969
2	13	Questionnaires: Story, Tama, Taylor, Union	1969
3	1	Questionnaires: Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, Washington	1969
3	2	Questionnaires: Wayne, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek	1969
3	3	Questionnaires: Woodbury, Worth, Wright	1969
3	4	Questionnaire tabulated results: school spending	1969
3	5	Questionnaires: probationary or unapproved schools	1969