Eastern Iowa Schools Paying for Safety Mapping Program

Districts continue funding critical incident mapping software after state ends support.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Two eastern Iowa school districts, Dike-New Hartford and Hudson, have decided to continue paying for a school safety mapping program called Critical Incident Mapping after the state of Iowa ended funding for the initiative. The software allows schools to create digital maps of their buildings to help first responders during emergencies and pinpoint the location of 911 calls.

Why it matters

The school safety mapping program is seen as a critical tool for improving emergency response times and preparedness in the event of a crisis. With the state no longer providing funding, districts must now decide whether the benefits of the program justify the ongoing costs, which are around $600 per building annually.

The details

The Critical Incident Mapping program, provided through GeoComm, allows school districts to create digital maps of their buildings to help first responders during emergencies. The software can also pinpoint the location within a school where a 911 call is made. Dike-New Hartford and Hudson School Districts have both decided to continue funding the program at their own expense after the state of Iowa ended its support for the initiative.

  • In 2022, the Critical Incident Mapping program was part of the Iowa governor's School Safety Initiative.
  • As of March 2026, the state of Iowa has ended funding for the school safety mapping program.

The players

Dike-New Hartford Community Schools

A school district in eastern Iowa that was among the first in the state to have its buildings mapped through the Critical Incident Mapping program.

Hudson School District

An eastern Iowa school district that has also decided to continue funding the Critical Incident Mapping program after the state ended its support.

Justin Stockdale

The superintendent of Dike-New Hartford Community Schools.

Dr. Tony Voss

The superintendent of Hudson School District.

GeoComm

The company that provides the Critical Incident Mapping software used by the school districts.

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What they’re saying

“It's really a no-brainer. And it's about response time, right? There's going to be events that happen in our school districts. Our staff knows this, our community knows this. The next thing you're talking about is how efficiently can we respond? Because seconds save lives.”

— Justin Stockdale, Superintendent, Dike-New Hartford Community Schools

“You're planning for the unknown, and you never know what's going to work until you have to do it. So having all of those different safety features in place really gives us peace of mind.”

— Dr. Tony Voss, Superintendent, Hudson School District

What’s next

The school districts will continue to pay for the Critical Incident Mapping program out of their own budgets, at a cost of around $600 per building per year, in order to maintain the safety and emergency preparedness benefits of the software.

The takeaway

The decision by Dike-New Hartford and Hudson School Districts to continue funding the Critical Incident Mapping program highlights the importance districts place on school safety initiatives, even when state support is withdrawn. This underscores the ongoing challenges schools face in balancing budgets and prioritizing critical safety measures.