Iowa official register

463 

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS 

 

AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES 

Iowa area education agencies (AEAs) are regional service agencies that provide school im-

provement services for students, families, teachers, administrators, and their communities.  Each 

AEA is governed by a locally elected board of directors of between five and nine members, re-

sponsible for ensuring the AEA operates in the best interests of the students in accordance with 

state law.  

The AEAs work as educational partners with public and accredited private schools. Agency 

staff members, school staff, and families work together to help all children reach their highest 

potential. 

As intermediate agencies, AEAs offer the kinds of services that can be most efficiently and 

economically provided on a regional or cooperative basis among school districts. The Iowa sys-

tem is widely regarded as one of the foremost regional service systems in the country. 

AEA programs and services fall into nine areas that are defined by state AEA accreditation 

standards. Specific programs are outlined in each agency’s Comprehensive Improvement Plan. 



School-Community Planning  



Professional Development  



Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment  



Diverse Learning Needs  



Multicultural, Gender-Fair  



Media  



School Technology  



Leadership  



Management  

Area Education Agency 1 (Keystone) 

Administrative Center, Elkader; [phone]; 

www.aea1.k12.ia.us 

Counties:  Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Howard, and Winne-

shiek.  Board president, Walter Pregler; chief administrator, Robert Vittengl, Ph.D.  Assessed 

valuation:  $7,972,973,766 for 2008-2009.  Population of area education agency:  207,245 based 

on 2000 census.  Size of area education agency: 5,063 square miles.  Size of area education 

agency board:  9.  Number of local districts:  24.  School enrollment:  public — 30,308, nonpublic 

— 4,756.  Enrollment figures are as of October 2008. 

Area Education Agency 267 

Administrative Center, Cedar Falls; [phone]; 

www.aea267.k12.ia.us 

Counties:  Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Floyd, Franklin, 

Grundy, Hancock, Hardin, Marshall, Mitchell, Poweshiek, Tama, Winnebago, Worth, and 

Wright.  Board president, Charlotte Upah; chief administrator, Dr. Dean Meier.  Assessed valua-

tion:  $15,685,525,988 for 2009-10 school year.  Population of area education agency:  417,500 

based on 2000 census.  Size of area education agency:  9,035 square miles.  Size of area education 

agency board:  9.  Number of local districts:  60.  School enrollment:  public — 63,329, nonpublic 

— 3,513, Malcolm Price Laboratory School — 367.  Enrollment figures are as of October 2008. 

Northwest AEA 4 

Administrative Center, Sioux Center; [phone]; 

www.nwaea.k12.ia.us 

Counties:  Lyon, Osceola, Sioux, O’Brien, Plymouth, Cherokee, Woodbury, Ida, Monona, and 

Crawford. Board president, Larry Petersen; administrator, Tim Grieves. Assessed valuation: 

$8,268,481,939 for 2008-2009. Population of area education agency: 238,788 based on 2000 cen-

sus.  Size of area education agency: 6,328 square miles. Size of area education agency board:  9.  

 

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464 

IOWA OFFICIAL REGISTER 

 

Number of local districts:  36.  School enrollment: public — 38,213, nonpublic — 5,117.  Enroll-

ment figures are as of October 2008. 

Area Education Agency 8 (Prairie Lakes) 

Administrative Center, Pocahontas; [phone]; 

www.aea8.k12.ia.us 

Counties:  Buena Vista, Calhoun, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Greene, Hamilton, Humboldt, Kos-

suth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Sac, Webster, and Wright.  Board president, Dean Saunders; chief 

administrator, Dr. Kay Forsythe.  Taxable valuation:  $9,038,574,891 for 2008-2009.  Population 

of area education agency: 226,395 based on 2000 census.  Size of area education agency:  8,072 

square miles.  Size of area education agency board:  9.  Number of local districts:  48.  School 

enrollment: public — 31,053, nonpublic — 2,444.  Enrollment figures are as of October 2008. 

Area Education Agency 9 (Mississippi Bend) 

Administrative Center, Bettendorf; [phone]; 

www.aea9.k12.ia.us 

Counties:  Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott.  Board president, David H. 

Swim; chief administrator, Dr. Glenn M. Pelecky.  Assessed valuation: $10,734,585,174 for 2008-

2009. Population of area education agency:  280,000 based on 2000 census.  Size of area educa-

tion agency:  2,440 square miles.  Size of area education agency board:  9.  Number of local dis-

tricts:  22.  School enrollment:  public — 48,116, nonpublic — 2,875.  Enrollment figures are as 

of October 2008. 

Area Education Agency 10 (Grant Wood) 

Administrative Center, Cedar Rapids; [phone]; 

www.aea10.k12.ia.us 

Counties:  Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington.  Board president, 

James C. Green; administrator, Ronald S. Fielder.  Assessed valuation:  $16,471,896,350  for 

2008-2009.  Population of area education agency:  413,790 based on 2000 census.  Size of area 

education agency:  4,900 square miles.  Size of area education agency board:  9.  Number of local 

public districts: 33.  School enrollment:  public — 66,133, nonpublic — 4,911.  Enrollment fig-

ures are as of October 2008. 

Area Education Agency 11 (Heartland) 

Administrative Center, Johnston; [phone]; 

www.aea11.k12.ia.us 

Counties:  Audubon, Boone, Carroll, Dallas, Guthrie, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Polk, Story, 

and Warren.  Board president, Ann Wilson; interim chief administrator, Sheila King.  Assessed 

valuation:  $29,211,350,293 for 2008-2009.  Population of area education agency:  685,115 based 

on 2000 census.  Size of area education agency:  6,518 square miles.  Size of area education 

agency board:  9.  Number of local public districts:  54.  School enrollment:  public — 122,952, 

nonpublic — 8,495.  Enrollment figures are as of October 2008. 

Area Education Agency 13 (Loess Hills) 

Administrative Center, Council Bluffs; [phone]; 

www.aea13.org 

Counties:  Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby.  Board president, 

Randy Brown; chief administrator, Glenn Grove.  Assessed valuation:  $6,831,744,165 for 2008-

2009.  Population of area education agency:  174,832 based on 2000 census.  Size of area educa-

tion agency:  4,652 square miles.  Size of area education agency board:  9.  Number of local dis-

tricts:  31.  School enrollment:  public — 29,721, nonpublic — 1,026.  Enrollment figures are as 

of October 2008. 

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