MACS impresses Attorney General
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By OLIVIA WEST
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — Ringgold County and in particular the Mount Ayr Community Schools received and welcomed a visitor from the state capitol as Iowa Attorney General
Brenna Bird paid a visit last Thursday as part of her 99-county tour. The tour takes place across the state of Iowa and is made to ensure that she is directly connected to the people she represents.
During her time here, Bird was treated to a tour of the Mount Ayr Community High School by Principal Josh Vanderflught, who sung the praises of students, teachers and the district’s facilities much like a proud parent.
Walking through the halls of the high school classrooms, Bird was impressed by many of the grants and the funding the school has received over the years, stating that the auditorium looked, “brand new.”
Calling the school an “opportunity hub,” the attorney general thought of it as more than just a place for education. Bird saw it as a space where students are given the tools they need to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom as she spent time viewing the district’s trade related facilities and learning about the new CTE building that will be in use this upcoming school year.
Bird was also fascinated by Mount Ayr’s credit recovery program. This program allows students who have failed a course to earn back the credits they otherwise would have received.
“I don’t know if people understand just how you don’t see this in places,” Bird said about all the district offers. “It’s very special.”
As she walked through the agriculture, metals and woodworking shops it became clear that this is what the Iowa Attorney General was looking for. Teaching students to have life skills before entering college or the workforce can open doors that otherwise would have remained closed.
“I’m from a rural area, and I want to make sure that everybody has opportunities, that they’re not just in certain places,” Bird said.
According to Bird, having a well-rounded education is vital to the future of the state.
“It’s important that students, we want them to be academically successful but people also have to know how to do things, whether that’s building something or fixing something,” she said.
With conversations about education, opportunity and student success at the center of the visit, the day left a lasting impression about the opportunities that are available to students and just how far they can go.
