Thursday, April 10, 2025
Vol. 6, No. 34
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
OPERATION EASTER EGG DROP
Thousands of pieces of candy rained from a helicopter flying over the PCM Middle School football field for Prairie City’s Easter Egg Hunt April 5
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
Dunwell’s vision to rework school spending shot down as regressive Lawmaker wanted multi-year funding package to buy time for formula changes By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Iowa House Rep. Jon Dunwell’s idea for an up to three-year funding package that could have allowed school districts to better plan out budgets and give state lawmakers time to rework the system was ultimately shut down. Party members saw the idea as regressive since multiyear funding was provided in the past. However, it was clear in Dunwell’s rough proposal — which he mentioned briefly at legislative gathering events in Newton — that the main idea was to buy the legislature time to come up with a different funding model for public schools. He noted at a legislative update on March 24 that
Jasper County’s property tax levy hearing highlights confusion of tax system
Officials stress they have no control over school district and city levies By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
his idea was shot down hard. “They were afraid of setting old patterns in committee,” Dunwell said. “My reason for doing it was not to set a pattern. My reason was … let’s get us some breathing room. Let’s pass a 2.5 percent or a 2.25 percent per year for the next two to three years, and that will give us the space.” Within those two to three years, lawmakers would be forced to dive head first into the school funding model and figure out what needs fixed or adjusted. Dunwell had never intended for the idea to be permanent, but rather create more time to truly rework school funding and solve some of the challenges districts face.
Before any more complaints about school district levies and assessments could be lobbed at Jasper County during a public hearing discussing its proposed tax rate, supervisors set the record straight and said they have no control over the schools or cities and that they lower their levies when assessments soar. Taxpayers expressed their frustrations with tax rates published in a controversial mailer that has proven to only confuse and irritate those who have received it. They also argued against the reasons the proposed property tax rate exceeds the current property tax rate. Again, much of it dealt with the school and cities.
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Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer Supervisor Brandon Talsma shows off the thick binder which contains the 2025-26 budget for Jasper County. Residents this past week had a chance to share their frustrations regarding property taxes and the confusing mailers sent out prior to the public hearings.
Students shine in honor band performance Musicians from every Jasper County school participate in 2025 honor band By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer Almost 100 kids filled the Berg Middle School stage for the 2025 Jasper County Honor Band. Showing off their skills on musical instruments, the kids put on a show-stopping performance, no fooling, on April 1. The band was led by guest director Lynnville-Sully Middle School Band Director Brenna Hamborg. Students from all six county schools participated in the 51st edition of the honor band. “The students were awesome to work with. I had such a fun time working with all of them,” Hamborg said. “They all worked really hard to get this music down. I could not be prouder of the
A publication of est. 1851
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer Almost 100 middle school students participated at the 51st Jasper County Honor Band April 1 at Berg Middle School in Newton.
group here tonight.” The students arrived at Berg Middle School in Newton early in the morning to start rehearsals. A couple of the songs they had a chance to practice ahead of
the event but not all of them. “We worked a lot on balance,” Hamborg said. “We have a really big group. A lot of our kids have not had experience listening down to our tubas way in the
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back.” After hours of work, the kids got a break for dinner and to prepare for their BAND | 3
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