Orient-Macksburg vote set for Tuesday, March 4

Voters in Adair, Adams, Madison and Union counties within the Orient-Macksburg school district are asked to go to the polls Tuesday, March 4 to decide on the district’s pending dissolution.

Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The polling location for Adair, Union and Adams County residents within the Orient-Macksburg School District is the Orient United Methodist Church. The polling location for Madison County residents within the district is the Woman’s Relief Corps Hall in Macksburg.

Eligible voters can vote absentee in person up until the day before the election at the courthouse in the county that your polling location is located in.

According to the Adair County Auditor’s Office, this special election is to voluntarily adopt the disolution of the Orient-Macksburg Community School District as proposed by the dissolution commission appointed by the school board, with its territory to be divided between Nodaway Valley and Winterset and a third area to be designated by the Department of Education.

“Assets and liabilities of the district will be divided using a formula of the percentage of property valuation provided to each contiguous district, including Creston, Nodaway Valley and Winterset,” said O-M Superintendent Jeff Kruse.

In June 2024, the school board voted to dissolve, which began this process. Low enrollment and a significant drop in the district’s spending authority, both which are key to a small district’s sustainability, played into that decision. Orient-Macksburg has shared classes and some activities with Nodaway Valley since 2021 and did so with Creston prior to that. It has a K-12 certified enrollment of approximately 90 students.

The first time through the process, Creston and Winterset each objected to the new map that was drawn. The second time, with an identical map proposed, Creston again objected but Winterset did not.

Orient-Macksburg will whole-grade share with Nodaway Valley for the 2025-26 school year due to time constraints for dissolution. This means that all classes and activities will be with Nodaway Valley for next school year.

If Tuesday’s vote passes, Orient-Macksburg would dissolve July 1, 2026. A no vote by the voters would put Orient-Macksburg in jeopardy of the state coming in to make a decision for the district.

“Once the deeply emotional decision was made by the Board of Education to pursue dissolution as the option to reorganize, a commission was created,” Kruse said. “The dedication of the commission and the board were evident during the deep discussions on the options facing the district. Their insight and willingness to work through a difficult process demonstrates their desire for the best outcome for the communities moving forward.”

Kruse said he often receives questions about the school building and the memorabilia it contains when talking about dissolution. He said that once the results of the vote are known, committees will be formed to create plans for both of those aspects.

“While the district should be proud of the educational system offered for more than a century, I would encourage patrons to look forward to the future,” Kruse said. “As districts in the state continue to face enrollment and funding challenges, Orient-Macksburg is a leader in developing a plan to voluntarily move forward.”

Ryan Frederick, a 2004 Orient-Macksburg graduate who chaired the dissolution committee and was formerly on the school board, added to Kruse’s closing sentiment.

“It’s been a longtime goal for folks around here that when the end came it would come on our terms. This referendum is our chance to go out on our own terms, the way we always wanted to,” Frederick said. “A ‘no’ vote does not keep the school open, and it doesn’t delay what’s coming — it merely means someone in Des Moines would call the shots going forward.”