Clarion–Goldfield Community School District was a school district headquartered in Clarion, Iowa. It covered of area, mostly in Wright County with some portions in the counties in Hancock and Humboldt. In its service area were Clarion, Galt, and Goldfield, as well as the unincorporated communities of Cornelia and Holmes.
History
The district was established on July 1, 1993, by the merger of the Clarion Community School District and the Goldfield Community School District.
In 2005, it began sharing programs and employees with the Dows Community School District. The two school districts sought a merger because of declining enrollments and because a State of Iowa funding program for small schools was to be terminated in 2013. The election for whether the districts should be merged was scheduled for September 10, 2013; 98% of Clarion-Goldfield voters and 85% of the Dows voters approved of the merger. On July 1, 2014, they merged into the Clarion–Goldfield–Dows Community School District.
The Clarion–Goldfield and Dows school districts began a whole grade sharing agreement in 2005. Under the agreement Dows maintained their own elementary school and sent students in grades 6-12 to Clarion. The districts shared administration and several staff members. In 2014, the districts consolidated into one district and the Dows Elementary School was closed. The Dows School building was sold to be used to warehouse Pioneer Seed. The playground and athletic complex were gifted to the City of Dows.
In 1981, Clarion and Goldfield began a whole grade sharing agreement that included sharing the high school, this was expanded to include the middle school in 1986. The two districts passed a consolidation (99% and 89% approval) to merge the two districts into the Clarion–Goldfield Community School District. The Goldfield building continued to house elementary classes until closing in 2008. The Goldfield building continues to be used for athletic events and practices and is available to rent for events.
The district territory also saw expansion in when Clarion and Galt consolidated in the 1960s. In 1987, the Boone Valley School District of Renwick dissolved, with the former district being divided between Humboldt and Clarion/Goldfield. In 2015, Corwith–Wesley dissolved with portions of the district being split between Algona/LuVerne, West Hancock, and Clarion–Goldfield–Dows.
Clarion–Goldfield–Dows High School was built in 1969. A weight room was built in 2003 by the Sports Boosters. In 2004 an addition and renovation project was completed building an addition to the north and a new art room, pottery room, business room, 2 computer labs, wrestling room, 4 locker rooms, and geothermal heating and cooling to the north northwest half of the facility. In 2007 another project was completed that included a south addition and extensive renovations to create new and renovated facilities for a library media center, ICN room, computer lab, chemistry/physics lab, renovated biology lab, 7 new classrooms, expanded and renovated offices, new main entrance, and a hallway/entrance to the east. The project included extensive renovations and new geothermal heating and cooling to the southeastern portion of the building. Plans for the future include a 650-seat auditorium addition or a possible auxiliary gym. In 2014 the parking lot was redone as well.