What is a rural town without a school? There is a little going on, but the town is not much to speak of. It is no fault of the town when it cannot hang onto a school. Unfortunately, due to economics and the free-market picking winners and losers with a thumb on the scale on the opposite side of these rural schools. A school when it is still in these towns is vital. It helps contribute to the economy by often being one of the largest employers in the town.

Everyone has their own opinion on how a school is run, but they should also strive to keep the school running. When the school goes, the town starts to go. Unfortunately, the current state of education policy in Iowa has led to underfunding below inflation led by the majority party of the Iowa legislature. The private school voucher law also has not provided any help in keeping public schools open for longer. Since they are private schools, the money in them is not as much of an investment in the community as a public school. This leads to schools making hard decisions on how to keep doors open. School districts and communities are pitted against each other to see who can keep the high school. After consolidating, it only takes a few more years until the battle starts with another school district a few more miles down the road.

It is a necessity that public schools are funded at the appropriate level, not only for the vitality of the community, but because education is vital to a child’s education. Not everyone can afford a private school education or the travel time to a private school makes sense. Years ago, the government used to fund public education at a higher rate from kindergarten through post-secondary courses. Unfortunately, this funding lapse has led to education becoming more cost prohibitive. Education is important because understanding the world through different lenses creates a well-informed citizen. Education can only improve and not hinder society. Not having the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education only hinders society in the long run.

This is why keeping public schools in rural towns, and operating and supporting them as a community is valuable. A well-informed citizen is the best society can get, and the best place to do this is through formal education and not social media. While supporting these schools, the community will still have one of its main economic drivers of the time. This allows the town to maintain its presence and build towards its future success. If a school closes in rural Iowa like a dentist or eye doctor office, it is not coming back. That is unfortunate.

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, farmer, and host of the Pandaring Talk podcast who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.