Rural Iowa Forum Series Kicks Off to Discuss Public School Funding

The 'Rural Revival: Local Voices, Common Goals' series aims to bring residents together to address key community issues.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 6:49pm

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A serene, nostalgic painting of a rural schoolhouse with a lone figure standing on the steps, capturing the quiet determination of a community-driven effort to address local education issues.A community forum series in rural Iowa aims to rally support for fully funding public education and increasing accountability for private school voucher programs.Clarion Today

A new regional forum series called 'Rural Revival: Local Voices, Common Goals' is launching this month in north-central Iowa. The first forum on April 21 in Clarion will focus on the 'Public School Strong' campaign, which advocates for increased state funding for public schools and opposes the use of taxpayer dollars for private education. The series is organized through a collaboration of Democratic county committees and will address other topics like healthcare, Medicaid, and water quality.

Why it matters

The forum series represents a community-driven effort to engage rural residents on important local issues and encourage civic participation. With Iowa's public school system declining in national rankings over the past decade, the 'Public School Strong' campaign aims to rally support for fully funding public education and increasing accountability for private school voucher programs.

The details

The first 'Rural Revival' forum on April 21 will be held at the Clarion Public Library from 6:30-8:00 pm and is open to the public. Kathy Schnell, who will help lead the discussion, says the 'Public School Strong' campaign is advocating for a 5% increase in state supplemental aid for public schools. So far, around a dozen Iowa school boards have adopted the 'Public School Strong' resolution, including Belmond-Klemme and Clarion-Goldfield-Dows.

  • The first 'Rural Revival' forum is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
  • The forum will run from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

The players

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement

A grassroots organization that is leading the 'Public School Strong' campaign to advocate for increased funding and accountability for Iowa's public schools.

Kathy Schnell

A local volunteer who will help lead the discussion on the 'Public School Strong' campaign at the first 'Rural Revival' forum.

North Iowa County-to-County Collaboration

A collaboration of Democratic county committees that is organizing the 'Rural Revival' forum series.

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What they’re saying

“'Iowa has a long-held reputation of being number one in education, but that has changed over the last decade. We're down to number 22 now and state funding has been eroded. Simply stated, the public school strong campaign is about seeking to fully fund our public schools. While private schools are benefiting from public money, we want them held accountable for where the money's going. And currently they are not. We want a cap on the income levels that those families receiving vouchers receive and currently there is no cap. Eventually we want the voucher program phased out.'”

— Kathy Schnell, Local Volunteer

What’s next

The 'Rural Revival' forum series will continue with future events addressing topics like healthcare, Medicaid, water quality, and candidate forums.

The takeaway

The 'Rural Revival' forum series represents a grassroots effort by local communities in north-central Iowa to come together and address key issues affecting their region, starting with a focus on advocating for increased funding and accountability for the state's public school system.