IOWA – The Iowa Department of Education announced 2023 fall certified enrollment numbers for public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools and certified participation in Education Savings Accounts on Friday. Public school district certified enrollment was just under 484,000, down approximately one-half percent from last year. Certified enrollment at private schools was nearly 36,200, an increase of 7.4%. A total of 16,757 participants used education savings accounts. One-third of those students using state funds did not attend a private school the year before.

IOWA – An Associated Press report shows that of $75 million promised by Governor Kim Reynolds to schools for safety measures, far less has actually made its way to districts. The announcement was made in June 2022 following the shooting massacre in Uvalde, Texas. Since then, two Iowa schools have been impacted by gun violence — in Perry and at the Starts Right Here academy in Des Moines. Perry had not been able to finish applying for the funds before the tragedy earlier this month.

IOWA – Girls wrestling continues to expand across the state as regional qualifiers were held Friday. There were 1,602 athletes competing in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union sanctioned tournament, which is an 18.5% increase from 2023. Of those, 448 qualified across 14 weight classes at next week’s state tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville, the second-ever officially held girls wrestling finals in Iowa.