National Blue Ribbon Schools Program

Situated in an agricultural area in western Iowa, Ar-We-Va Community Schools serves the three rural towns of Arcadia, Westside, and Vail. Together these three towns have a combined population of 1200 people. The school is a great source of pride to many generations in the community; therefore, the staff and the three communities remain committed to exemplifying our mission statement and placing strong emphasis on creating meaningful learning opportunities for students academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.

Rural schools in Iowa face challenges in providing students with an excellent education because of declining enrollment and limited funding. Ar-We-Va proactively searches for solutions to give students a variety of opportunities despite these challenges. Recently, Ar-We-Va entered into a partial day sharing agreement with a neighboring school district. This agreement allows Ar-We-Va to keep its small school feel while giving students more academic options. Our district also utilizes two local community colleges to provide our students with a jump-start on their post-secondary plans. Our students continually chose to pursue secondary educational opportunities, leading them to becoming responsible citizens of the 21st century.

A key to success is the true commitment among all stakeholders to hold every individual and every student to high expectations. As a result of this commitment, our students are well prepared to become productive, responsible citizens in a world that requires competent, goal-oriented individuals. We are Ar-We-Va proud!