East Union shifts away from Highway 34

AFTON - Female wrestlers attending East Union will soon be wearing Eagles blue.

The East Union school board last Tuesday approved the termination of the Highway 34 shared girls’ wrestling agreement in a move to support an East Union branded girls’ wrestling program.

The agreement had previously allowed female wrestlers from Creston, East Union and Lenox to compete under the same program. The name refers to Highway 34, the road that connects Afton, Creston and Lenox together.

With East Union terminating their part of the agreement, they will be able to create their own girls’ wrestling program.

Last season, 14 wrestlers comprised the Highway 34 co-op, eight from Creston, five from East Union and one from Lenox. All wrestlers and two managers for the co-op earned varsity letters last year.

With East Union’s exit from Highway 34, this leaves the group with Creston wrestlers and the sole wrestler from Lenox, Ale Villanueva, who received a most improved title last season.

Part of the school board’s action was to support an in-house EU girls wrestling program. They will hire a new girls’ wrestling coach before the start of next season.

Neither Creston nor Lenox have announced any decisions for the future of the Highway 34 team.

In other East Union school board news...

East Union school board approved a bid from RTI for the installation of various electronic security devices. The company was recommended to the board by EU IT Director Lori Paup. The board cited a more competitive price point and Paup’s recommendation as key reasons for the approval of the bid.

Spending on security systems will be supported through SFLRF grant funding the school was awarded. New exterior cameras, door access systems and additional sensors will be installed through the security company.

Following multiple weeks of discussion, the East Union school board approved the schedule for the 2024-25 school year, moving to a four-day school week. The new calendar will have Monday as the off day, with the school year starting Aug. 23.

The budget for fiscal year 2024-25 was approved with a total levy rate of $16.34455, a minor decrease from last year’s rate of $16.34501. The budget is premised on SSA growth of 2.5% as set by Iowa legislature.

The school district made official an agreement with the Southern Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG), which partnered with the city of Afton. SICOG provides grantsmanship services involved with gaining funding for member cities and counties in southern Iowa.