Latest news with #UrbandaleSchoolDistrict
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local parents pushing for change in student abuse investigations in Iowa school districts
DES MOINES, Iowa — In 2023, the Petek family filed a civil rights complaint against the Urbandale School District after they said the district did not take proper action in a situation involving their disabled student Keaton Petek. A teacher at the Urbandale elementary school, Amanda Delzell, was placed on administrative leave after attempting to report what she considered abuse. Delzell was later fired by the district. It's this situation that has Paige Petek and Pam Gronau seeking a change in Iowa code. 'It's my understanding that a full formal investigation where the parent should have received a report showing what they had found in their investigation was never done, it was never given to them. And so that was where the huge red flag came in and I said this has to change,' said Pam Gronau, a concerned parent with three students attending a central Iowa school district. Under current state law, teachers are mandatory reporters, except for when the abuse is at the hands of an educator. This allows school districts to take the lead in abuse allegations, which means the information surrounding an incident could be kept private. Gronau is advocating for a bill that will take alleged abuse investigations out of the hands of the school districts and into the hands of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Haven't filed your taxes yet? Here are some helpful tips 'As a parent, you want to make sure you send your children to the school … you want to know that they're safe when they're there. And in most cases, I think, most of our schools are doing the right thing. But we can't let there be even one opportunity for the right thing not to be done. We need to ensure that we are protecting our kids at all costs,' said Gronau. The bill sets up districts the department would open across the state to handle these investigations. The Legislative Services Agency projects that the DHHS will conduct around 600 investigations per year, and would need seven new full-time employee positions to handle the cases. The projected cost is over $700,000 in year one and $656,000 in year two. Though the bill passed through the Iowa House unanimously in a 96-0 vote, Gronau is concerned that the fiscal implications may hold it up in the Iowa Senate. The bill was recently placed in unfinished business, which means it could or could not pass and be signed into law this session. Gronau is urging Iowans to reach out to their elected officials and ask them to advance this bill along in the process. 'We need to protect our students in the state of Iowa and there shouldn't be a cost taken on their protection,' said Gronau. Iowa News: Iowa State University Insect Zoo to close Local parents pushing for change in student abuse investigations in Iowa school districts Haven't filed your taxes yet? Here are some helpful tips Man who shot at Iowa police officers sentenced after pleading guilty WATCH: Which Hawkeyes and Cyclones are bound for NFL? Draft Day Preview Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beaverdale business shutting down after 50 years
DES MOINES, Iowa — A Beaverdale business announced it would be shutting down after over 50 years in business. The self-described travel boutique, Back Country, located at 2702 Beaver Avenue announced in a post on Instagram that it would be closing its doors due to debt. Iowa State Fair teases another Grandstand act In 1974 Jamie and Diana Wornson opened the first Back Country store in Ames, and 10 years later in 1990 opened the Beaverdale location. Since then, the Ames location has closed, but Back Country has become a historic fixture of the Beaverdale neighborhood, according to the store's website. Owner Jay Kozel said in the Instagram post that the wave of support since the announcement has been overwhelming, and he's grateful to the community. An exact close date has not been released. Metro News: Beaverdale business shutting down after 50 years Urbandale School District will remain in the CIML Fire breaks out at Des Moines duplex early Tuesday morning 'Picture of perseverance': Marshalltown man's legacy lives on 100+ years later in historically African-American school Valley's first Black principal stepping down after 20 years Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
