Joint County School System

Iowa's three-tiered system of education dates to 1858 when each of Iowa's 99 counties had a County Superintendent of Education placed between local school districts and what was then called the State Department of Public Instruction. The County Superintendent's job was to oversee all school districts within the county, which at that time numbered nearly 5,000.Chief responsibilities included the supervision and evaluation of teachers; the keeping of school attendance, teacher certification and retirement records; organization of school contests (predominantly spelling bees) and the circulation of supplemental materials for school libraries.

During the next 70 years, the number of districts steadily declined. In 1957, the Iowa Legislature allowed counties to join in employing one superintendent to handle the smaller numbers of districts.

In 1965, the Legislature approved the merger of two or more counties into Joint County School Systems. Four Joint County Systems were established in the state. That same year, the Legislature created the boundaries for the 15 merged area schools or community colleges, creating a precedent for service areas within them.

As the number of districts declined and the responsibilities of public education increased (notably the state mandates to provide educational programs for children with disabilities), the role of the County Superintendent expanded to the organization of special education and curriculum support. For example, it soon became clear that the County Superintendent could employ school psychologists and speech clinicians to serve several school districts.Each school individually would not have been able to afford such services.

During the next 10 years, however, the County Superintendent offices differed dramatically in the breadth and depth of services provided.While some school districts received support in special education and circulating film libraries, others received little or nothing. The Legislature was plagued with complaints about inequitiable services from district to district.

At the same time, Public Law 94:142, mandating a free public education for all children with disabilities, was passed. This federal law and the funding that accompanied it provided an additional impetus for consistent, equitable special education services across the state, delivered in the most efficient manner.