The Clarion-Goldfield Community School District and the Dows Community School District consolidated into the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows CSD on July 1, 2014. The two school districts sought a merger because of declining enrollments and because a State of Iowa funding program for small schools was to be terminated in 2013. The election for whether the districts should be merged was scheduled for September 10, 2013; 98% of Clarion-Goldfield voters and 85% of the Dows voters approved of the merger. By May 2014, Kevin Katz, the Clarion-Goldfield technology specialist, created the letterhead logo, while the school board president, Clint Middleton, created the district's athletics logo. On July 1, 2015, the Corwith-Wesley Community School District dissolved, with a portion of the district being taken by Clarion-Goldfield-Dows CSD.
Enrollment
In September 2019, the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows CSD had a K12 certified enrollment of 973 students.
Year
Enrollment
201415
954
201516
951
201617
967
201718
944
201819
943
201920
973
The predecessor districts had the following enrollments:
Year
Clarion-Goldfield
Dows
200405
964
164
200506
939
159
200607
910
144
200708
885
134
200809
885
142
200910
813
129
201011
787
137
201112
776
129
201213
799
124
201314
807
139
Athletics
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows is usually a Class 2A school in the North Central Conference that includes Algona, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Clear Lake, Hampton-Dumont/CAL, Humboldt, Iowa Falls-Alden, St. Edmond Catholic, and Webster City. The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows mascot is the Cowboys/Cowgirls and the school colors are red and black. The school song is sung to the tune of Illinois Loyalty. Fall sports are football, volleyball, and cross country. Winter sports are boys' basketball, girls' basketball, and wrestling. Spring sports are boys' and girls' track and field, and boys' and girls' golf. Summer sports are baseball and softball. Clarion-Goldfield-Dows and CAL Community School District schools partnered for three years with shared football and cross country programs before CAL began whole grade sharing with Hampton-Dumont in 2018.
Schools
The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Elementary and Middle School complex began with a 3-story high school building built in 1913, located on what is now the circle drive. In 1937, the two-story elementary school was built as it stands today. In the late 1950s, two additions were added to the elementary school, on the east and northwest sides, and a middle school was built as a north addition to the high school. The high school was moved to a new building in northeast Clarion in 1971. The old building became a P/K8 facility. In 1993, the 1913 portion of the building was demolished, the middle school was capped, and a new front entrance was built. An addition was built to the north of the elementary school including a multipurpose room, library media center, ICN room, two computer labs, and additional classrooms. The 1937 elementary building and east addition was extensively renovated at that time. In 2002, a north addition was built to the middle school, adding four additional classrooms. In 2007, an extensive renovation project was completed to the middle school and northwest elementary addition that also included a small addition to the southwest, near the front entrance. In 2003, a new playground was completed. Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School was built in 1969. A new weight room was built in 2003 by the Sports Boosters. In 2004, an addition and renovation project was completed, building an addition to the north and a new art room, pottery room, business room, 2 computer labs, wrestling room, 4 locker rooms, and geothermal heating and cooling to the north-northwest half of the facility. In 2007, a south addition was added and extensive renovations created new and renovated facilities for a library media center, ICN room, computer lab, chemistry/physics lab, renovated biology lab, 7 new classrooms, expanded and renovated offices, new main entrance, and a hallway/entrance to the east. The project included extensive renovations and new geothermal heating and cooling to the southeastern portion of the building. In 2002, four classrooms were added to the north side of the middle school. Additional parking spaces and a sport court were completed at this time as well. In 2003, a new playground was installed at the elementary school and a weight room was built on the high school campus. In 2004 an expansion and renovation project was completed at the high school that includes four new locker rooms, additional athletic office and storage space, wrestling room, art room, pottery room, business room, and two computer labs. The project also installed geothermal heating and cooling to the high school facility. In 2006, a $4 million bond issue was passed to fund improvements to the middle school and high school facilities. The project saw the 1956 middle school building extensively renovated with new ceilings and lighting, floor tiles, paint, lockers, doors, cupboards, cabinets, marker boards, and bulletin boards. An addition was built that houses a new main office, principal's office, teacher workroom, and freight room. By renovating existing space, three additional classrooms and a conference room were added to the middle school. In 2013, the district began a one-to-one technology initiative. Since then, students in the high school each get to use a laptop computer. Middle school and elementary school students use an iPad.
Dows Community School District
The Dows Community School District, established in 1914, served the community of Dows, Iowa for 100 years. It served as a full K12 school system until the last class graduated in 1998. The school building was built in 1914 and additions were built in 1935, 1954, 1961, and 1980 with additional renovations completed in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1963, Dows recorded its largest enrollment of 532 students in K12, 50 in kindergarten alone. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, enrollment declined. In the fall of 1998, a 2-way whole grade sharing agreement began with CAL Community School District of Latimer, Iowa. The shared high school was at CAL, the shared middle school was at Dows, and both districts maintained their own separate elementary schools. This agreement continued for seven years. Beginning in 200506, Dows ended the agreement with CAL and began a 1-way whole grade sharing agreement with Clarion-Goldfield. Dows maintained a P/K5 elementary school and shared numerous administration, faculty, and staff positions. In September 2013, voters of both districts approved consolidation into a single district. The Dows School was closed in the spring of 2014, in its centennial year of operation. An all-school reunion was held at Dows Corn Days in August 2014. The district became part of the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Community School District with all students attending classes and activities in Clarion in the fall of 2014. The Dows School building was sold in June 2014 to warehouse seed for Pioneer and forklifts. The playground and football/baseball complex was gifted to the City of Dows.
Goldfield Community School District
In 1981, Clarion and Goldfield began a whole grade sharing agreement that included sharing the high school, this was expanded to include the middle school in 1986. The two districts passed a consolidation to merge the two districts into the Clarion-Goldfield Community School District in 1993. The Goldfield building continued to house elementary classes until closing in 2008. The Goldfield building continues to be used for athletic events and practices, and is available to rent for events. It was gifted to the City of Goldfield in 2017. A company is interested in developing the building into apartments.
The Boone Valley Community School District of Renwick, Iowa opted to dissolve the district, instead of consolidating with a single district. The land in the district was mostly split between Humboldt and Clarion in 1988.
Academic performance
By 2018 the State of Iowa ranked the elementary school "acceptable" and the secondary schools "commendable".
