Orange City, Iowa — A Sioux County school district is one of 23 statewide that will be able to bolster their computer science teacher workforce, due to a $500,000 state appropriation.
According to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, the funding is part of a broader effort to expand computer science education across the state. This effort aligns with the Future Ready Iowa initiative, which is about preparing more Iowans for rewarding, high-demand jobs and getting employers the skilled workers they need.
The Governor says the Computer Science Professional Development Incentive Fund, along with voluntary statewide computer science standards, were established as part of legislation signed into law in 2017. SF 274 supports the state’s effort to provide high-quality computer science instruction in every elementary, middle and high school in Iowa. Schools will use the incentive fund to pay for professional learning or university coursework for teaching endorsements in computer science.
The incentive fund drew 31 applications representing 39 public school districts and non-public schools in urban, rural and suburban parts of the state. One application represented a team of elementary, middle, and high schools within Great Prairie Area Education Agency in southeast Iowa, according to Reynolds. 21 of the schools were selected.
The Sioux County school receiving the grant is the MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District. Other area schools listed include Estherville-Lincoln Central, Spirit Lake and Storm Lake.
