Clarion-Goldfield and Dows Community Schools are located in North Central Iowa, in some of the best farm land in the world. Clarion-Goldfield resides largely in Wright county and includes portions of Humboldt and Hancock counties. Dows includes portions of Wright and Franklin counties. Geographically the Clarion-Goldfield District includes 254 square miles, which includes the communities of Clarion, Goldfield, Galt, Holmes, and Cornelia. Dows District includes 101 square miles and the town of Dows. Together, both districts stretch approximately 50 miles from the Northwest to Southeast.

Clarion-Goldfield and Dows Community School Districts have shared educational programs and personnel since 2005-2006. Students from Dows in grades six through 12 attend classes in the Clarion-Goldfield District. The districts shared the services of a superintendent and the Dows Elementary Principal as Curriculum Director until 2009, when Sara Pralle-Keehn left to become superintendent at United CSD of Boone, Iowa. Since her departure, Clarion-Goldfield Middle School Principal Steve Haberman and Dr. Robert Olson share duties as Dows Elementary Principal. Clarion-Goldfield also began sharing personnel with the Eagle Grove Community School District in 2008-2009. The districts share Vocational Agriculture and Transportation Director personnel, Angie Charlson and Dwight Tew, respectively.

The Clarion-Goldfield District maintains one elementary school, one middle school (6-8) and high school, all located in Clarion. The Goldfield building, once used for elementary classes through the 2007-2008 school year, is used to house the Iowa Central Community College Nursing Program and as a community building. The Clarion-Goldfield District employs 150 full and part-time employees who teach and provide services for approximately 930 students in grades PK-12 and 100 students in a locally funded three and four year-old preschool. Dows Elementary employs 20 full and part-time employees and serves approximately 60 students, kindergarten through grade five, taught in modified, multi-aged classrooms. The district also operates a state-funded four year-old preschool and locally funded three year-old preschool.

The Clarion-Goldfield Board of Education meets monthly on the second Monday of each month and is comprised of five board members. The Dows Board of Education meets monthly on the third Monday of each month and is also comprised of five board members. Both districts jointly publish a monthly newsletter that is mailed to every address in both districts. Others outside of either district, wishing to keep up with school news, may contact either district office to be included on the monthly mailing list.

We hope you enjoy your cyber visit of the Clarion-Goldfield and Dows Schools. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely yours,
Robert A. Olson, Ed. D.