Pekin Community School District

This article is about the district in Iowa. For school districts in other states, see Pekin School District.

41°09′26″N 92°09′56″W / 41.157307°N 92.165419°W / 41.157307; -92.165419

Pekin Community School District
Address
1062 Birch Ave.
Packwood
, Iowa, 52580
United States
Coordinates41.157307, -92.165419
District information
TypePublic
Motto"Where everybody is somebody."
GradesK-12
Established1961
SuperintendentJeff Maeder
Schools2
Budget$11,755,000 (2020-21)[1]
NCES District ID1922440[1]
Students and staff
Students642 (2022-23)[1]
Teachers51.18 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Staff73.10 FTE[1]
Student–teacher ratio12.54[1]
Athletic conferenceSoutheast Iowa Superconference; North Division
District mascotPanthers
ColorsBlack, White and Red
     
Other information
Affiliation(s)(Boys' sports) IHSAA and (Girls' Sports) IGHSAU
Websitewww.pekincsd.org

Pekin Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Pekin, an unincorporated area in Jefferson County, Iowa, near Packwood.[2]

It serves the following incorporated communities in Jefferson, Keokuk, Wapello, and Washington counties: Packwood, Hedrick, Martinsburg, Ollie, and Richland.[3] Unincorporated areas served by Pekin schools, aside from Pekin, include Abington, Highland Center, and Rubio.[4]

History

The school facilities were built on a former runway that was once used to train pilots.[5]

In 1986 there was a proposal to merge the Pekin district and the Hedrick Community School District. By 1990 Iowa law allowed students to attend schools in other school districts, but at the time students had to pay tuition there. Hedrick sued the Pekin district over accepting students for free that should have been counted as out of district, as they lived with Pekin district-resident family members or friends of their family but not with their primary caregivers. A jury decided that the Hedrick district was damaged by this. The law was later modified so that a student can attend another school district for free.[6]

In 1991, the district incorporated territory from the former Hedrick district after that district closed. The expected enrollment for all Pekin schools combined for fall 1991 was 800 students.[7] A draft of a state proposal to merge much of Hedrick into Pekin anticipated that Pekin would take in about 85% of the Hedrick students.[8]

In 2016, the district agreed to begin a superintendent-sharing arrangement with the Sigourney Community School District.[9]

The district proposed a $55 million bond in 2017.[10]

Schools

The district operates two schools in a single facility near Pekin:[1]

  • Pekin Elementary School
  • Pekin Community Junior/Senior High School

Athletics

The Panthers compete in the Southeast Iowa Superconference (North Division), in the following sports:

  • Boys' & Girls' Cross country
  • Girls' Volleyball
  • Boys' & Girls' Wrestling
  • Boys' & Girls' Basketball
  • Boys' & Girls' Track and field
  • Boys' Baseball
  • Girls' Softball

For American Football, the Panthers compete in Iowa Class A District 6 (As of 2025).[11]

Student body

In early 1991 the district had about 576 students.[12] Early that year 32 children who lived in the boundaries of the Hedrick school district attended school in the Pekin school district, prior to the absorbing of much of the Hedrick district.[8]

Notable alumni

Keaton Winn, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Pekin Comm School District". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  2. ^ Home. Pekin Community School District. Retrieved on June 18, 2018. "Pekin CSD 1062 Birch Ave Packwood, IA 52580"
  3. ^ "PEKIN Archived 2018-04-27 at the Wayback Machine." Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved on June 18, 2018. Also see the Iowa Secretary of State map: General Map
  4. ^ "Welcome from the Superintendent of Schools, Mr. David Harper." Pekin Community Schools. Retrieved on June 20, 2018.
  5. ^ "Home." Pekin Community School District. April 13, 2008. Retrieved on June 20, 2018.
  6. ^ Jones, Delora (January 18, 1990). "Jury rules on Pekin, Hedrick tuition dispute". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. p. 2A. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Vobejda, Barbara (March 25, 1991). "MAIN STREET FACES 'ECONOMIC TRIAGE'". Washington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Clifford, George III (February 7, 1991). "Pekin district would take most Hedrick students". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. p. 2. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Pekin and Sigourney Community School District To Share Superintendent". Sigourney News-Review. February 17, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  10. ^ Wilson, Alexandria (January 10, 2017). "Pekin asking for $5.5 million bond for facility renovations". KTVO. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  11. ^ "Football: 2025 & 2026 Districts & Groups". IHSAA. March 5, 2025. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  12. ^ Boshart, Rob; Gosch, Dave (March 16, 1991). "State sends Hedrick students to Pekin". Cedar Rapids Gazette. Vol. 109, no. 66. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. pp. 1A, 7A. - Clipping of first and of second page from Newspapers.com.
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