Iowa School Consolidations Quiz | Mixed USA

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Suppose an Oscar-winning portrayer of Mahatma Gandhi and the first rector and co-founder of Yale University decided to build a high school in rural northwest Iowa. Which of the following actual consolidations in Plymouth County would bear the same name?

Answer: Kingsley-Pierson

Separated by about eight miles, Kingsley and Pierson are located in Plymouth County, about 30 minutes east of Sioux City.

Ben Kingsley won the Oscar for his portrayal of Gandhi in 1982's "Gandhi." Abraham Pierson was a co-founder in 1701 of the Collegiate School in Saybrook Colony in Connecticut. The school was renamed Yale College in 1718. Pierson was one of ten ministers now known as The Founders.

2. Combine a word that sounds like an Iowa country road surface with a German state and what one-time Ida County school district do you have?

Answer: Galva-Holstein

A lot of rural Iowa roads have gravel surfaces, hence the clue for the town of Galva in Ida County.

In 2010-11 Schaller-Crestland combined with Galva-Holstein to form the Ridge View School District with the high school located in Holstein and the Junior High building in Early.

3. Now think of a word that sounds similar to a synonym of an inhabitant or occupant of some place, and add to that another state in Germany, and which Crawford County sharing agreement comes to mind?

Answer: Denison-Schleswig

Denison and Schleswig began a one-way sharing agreement in the 1994-95 school year. The one-way sharing agreement means that all 9-12 Schleswig students attend school at the Denison high school but no Denison students go to Schleswig. Schleswig maintains its own K-8 school.

The clue refers to the term "denizen."

4. Next, combine a name similar to that of a 1968 Mexico City Olympic and world-record setting long jumper with that of an 11th-Century Holy Roman Emperor and you will get this one-time Grundy County school consolidation.

Answer: Beaman Conrad

Today Beaman Conrad is part of the BCLUW school district, serving the towns of Beaman, Conrad, Liscomb, Union, and Whitten. BCLUW was formed in the 1986-7 school year when Union-Whitten and BCL combined.

Bob Beamon's gold-medal-winning long jump of 29 feet 2.5 inches (8.9 meters) broke the existing world record by over 21 inches. His record stood for almost 23 years.

Conrad II was crowned HRE in 1027 and ruled until 1039.

5. And how about a school district whose two towns SOUND LIKE they're named for two famous actors named Charles? One won the Best Actor Oscar for playing Henry VIII in 1933's "The Private Life of Henry VIII," and the other famously flaunted a death wish. Which Woodbury County school district could this be?

Answer: Lawton-Bronson

Like many school districts in Iowa, the Lawton and Bronson high schools merged in the 1960s, at which time the Bronson building became an elementary school only. Lawton-Bronson's mascot are the Eagles.

The clue emphasizes "sound like" in its reference to the town of Lawton, which sounds like the great British actor Charles Laughton. Actor Charles Bronson's name is associated with a series of five films he made, all including "Death Wish" in their titles.

6. This Pottawattamie County combo sounds like a legendary late night talk show host born in Iowa met up with Alexander the Great. Which consolidated district was that?

Answer: Carson-Macedonia

Carson and Macedonia combined in 1958, but were joined only 35 years later by Oakland to form Riverside Community School District, with its high school in Oakland. Carson-Macedonia had been known as the Panthers, with its high school in Carson. Riverside's mascot is the Bulldogs.

The Riverside district is not to be confused with Highland Community School District in Riverside, Iowa, on the other (eastern) side of the state.

The clue refers to entertainer Johnny Carson and Alexander the Great's homeland of Macedonia.

7. Our next consolidation could have been created by a famous redheaded fighter of oil field fires and a great baseball figure who is known for striking out, but it wasn't. It was named for a War of 1812 general and a railroad man. Nonetheless, you should be able to guess its name.

Answer: Adair-Casey

The Adair-Casey school district lies across the border between Adair County and Guthrie County. Adair was named after General John Adair, a military man and later governor of Kentucky. Not far from town, in July of 1873, Jesse James led the first successful train robbery of the American West by derailing the Rock Island Express, getting away with 3,000 dollars. Motorists driving by Adair on I-80 can't miss the yellow "smiley-face" water tower standing in the center of town.

Red Adair is the firefighter in the clue above.

8. How about a quick one? Think President and Arkansas, what comes to mind FIRST? hint: Lyon County

Answer: George-Little Rock

The George and Little Rock school districts merged in 1989. The district also shares boys and girls cross country, softball, football, and wrestling with Central Lyon.

Of course, George Washington was the first president and Little Rock ranks first in size on Arkansas' list of cities, as well as being the capital.

The tricky part is that Thomas Jefferson was a president, of course, and, even though it only had a population of 222 in 2000, Scranton is actually a town in Arkansas. But Jefferson and Scranton in Iowa are in Greene County, not Lyon. Today the school district based in Jefferson is called Greene County as of the 2014-15 school year, when East Greene joined Jefferson-Scranton.

9. Jasper County features a school consolidation whose two major towns are actually named for the clues I had ready. One was a vice president of the USA and the other was a native tribe that moved into the Ohio area following the French and Indian War. (Ed Ames could help you with this.) Which school district is this?

Answer: Colfax-Mingo

Colfax-Mingo was reorganized in the 1981-2 school year. The other two communities in the district are Ira and Valeria. The 7-12 grade building is in Colfax.

Schuyler Colfax Jr. was born in New York City. He only served one term as U.S. Grant's vice president. Henry Wilson was V.P. for Grant's second term.

The Mingo were a combination of Seneca and Cayuga peoples, both elements of the Six Nations of the Iroquois.

Singer Ed Ames played the role of Daniel Boone's Cherokee friend Mingo in Fess Parker's TV series "Daniel Boone," which ran from 1964 to 1970.

10. If a South Carolina planter who signed the Articles of Confederation and succeeded John Hancock as president of the Second Continental Congress had sponsored a 26-mile footrace on his rice plantation, you might have the name of a school district in Buena Vista and Pocahontas counties. Which of these is it?

Answer: Laurens-Marathon

Forty years after being consolidated during the 1976-77 school year, Laurens-Marathon will be closing its high school in 2017. The district's 9-12 students will be attending Pocahontas Area high school in Pocahontas, and L-M will maintain its K-8 programs.

Henry Laurens was a rice planter in South Carolina during the Revolutionary period. In 1783 he was part of the American delegation to Paris for the peace treaty negotiations and in 1788 he voted in favor of adopting the United States Constitution.

The marathon is a 26-mile race founded in Greek history and Olympic games traditions.

Source: Author shvdotr

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Iowa School Consolidations Trivia Quiz

School consolidations have been around in Iowa for a long time. And while you may not know the names of many Iowa small towns, maybe my clues will help you identify some of their school sharing programs. Have fun!

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