Pekin Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Pekin, an unincorporated area in Jefferson County, Iowa, near Packwood.Home. Pekin Community School District. Retrieved on June 18, 2018. "Pekin CSD 1062 Birch Ave Packwood, IA 52580"
It serves the following incorporated communities in Jefferson, Keokuk, Wapello, and Washington counties: Packwood, Hedrick, Martinsburg, Ollie, and Richland."PEKIN ." Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved on June 18, 2018. Also see the Iowa Secretary of State map: General Map Unincorporated areas served by Pekin schools, aside from Pekin, include Abington, Highland Center, and Rubio."Welcome from the Superintendent of Schools, Mr. David Harper." Pekin Community Schools. Retrieved on June 20, 2018.
History The school facilities were built on a former runway that was once used to train pilots."Home." Pekin Community School District. April 13, 2008. Retrieved on June 20, 2018.
In 1986 there was a proposal to merge the Pekin district and the Hedrick Community School District. By 1990 Iowa law allowed students to attend schools in other school districts, but at the time students had to pay tuition there. Hedrick sued the Pekin district over accepting students for free that should have been counted as out of district, as they lived with Pekin district-resident family members or friends of their family but not with their primary caregivers. A jury decided that the Hedrick district was damaged by this. The law was later modified so that a student can attend another school district for free. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
In 1991, the district incorporated territory from the former Hedrick district after that district closed. The expected enrollment for all Pekin schools combined for fall 1991 was 800 students. A draft of a state proposal to merge much of Hedrick into Pekin anticipated that Pekin would take in about 85% of the Hedrick students. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
In 2016, the district agreed to begin a superintendent-sharing arrangement with the Sigourney Community School District.
The district proposed a $55 million bond in 2017.
Schools The district operates two schools in a single facility near Pekin: Pekin Elementary School Pekin Community Junior/Senior High School
Athletics The Panthers compete in the Southeast Iowa Superconference (North Division), in the following sports:
Boys' & Girls' Cross country Girls' Volleyball Boys' & Girls' Wrestling Boys' & Girls' Basketball Boys' & Girls' Track and field Boys' Baseball Girls' Softball
For American Football, the Panthers compete in Iowa Class A District 6 (As of 2025).
Student body In early 1991 the district had about 576 students. - Clipping of first and of second page from Newspapers.com. Early that year 32 children who lived in the boundaries of the Hedrick school district attended school in the Pekin school district, prior to the absorbing of much of the Hedrick district.
Notable alumni Keaton Winn, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants.
See also List of school districts in Iowa List of high schools in Iowa
References
External links Pekin Community School District