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The Red Barn Schoolhouse is a nature-based public charter school where children learn through nature and art. Our vision is to nurture children’s curiosity, resilience, joy, and compassion and to inspire changemakers of the future. We envision a school that celebrates diversity, promotes innovative and experiential curriculum, and generates gratitude for the natural world.
A public charter school is a tuition-free public school that is open to all students, regardless of school zoning. Traditional public schools follow a strict set of guidelines that are set by the school district. Public charter schools still need to follow federal laws and regulations, but they’re not tied to a district school board. Instead, they follow guidelines that are set up by a separate, independent board.
Yes, Red Barn Schoolhouse is fully accredited by the Iowa Board of Education.
This simply means we use nature as our primary classroom. The curriculum encourages children to explore and be curious with a direct connection to nature.
A substantial body of research (including the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child) supports the use of nature-based approaches.
Not only does it support the academic and psychological well-being of students, but also the well-being of the educators delivering the instruction.
Nature-based approaches also help bridge the “green gap,” providing equitable access to outdoor learning for students of different racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. In essence, nature integration can actually reduce the frequent gaps observed in academic achievement and well-being experienced by different populations of children.
Our educational approach emphasizes integrated, rather than separate subjects. While this may differ from the Iowa Academic Standards (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) and many traditional systems, we believe that this approach, with collaborative instruction, encourages students to make connections between subjects, fostering a more holistic understanding of the material. Additionally, this maximizes the time that can be spent on each specific subject and its accompanying standards.
The Red Barn Schoolhouse will enroll any eligible student who submits a timely application unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or the physical logistics of the Red Barn.
As a public school, Red Barn Schoolhouse cannot impose special entrance requirements.
As a public school, Red Barn Schoolhouse cannot charge a tuition fee.
There are no uniforms. Clothing should be comfortable, weather-appropriate, and layered. It's also important to send extra clothes in case of wet or muddy conditions.
We emphasize a small ‘class’ size, team-teaching, and expert collaborations to enhance student learning, choice, and engagement. Having a co-teaching model that incorporates at least two teachers per band, ensures a low student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 15:1.
Initially, in year 1, roughly 40 full-time students will be enrolled for grades K-3. with eventual expansion to full K-5 instruction in subsequent years. In year two those served will include through grade 4. Similarly, in year three, classes will be expanded to serve those in grade 5.
School is year-round. Learning year-round is more equitable, keeps students engaged on their learning paths avoiding stagnant summer gaps and allows teachers to take breaks to avoid burnout.
With extended breaks distributed throughout the year, we allow families, teachers, and administration the time necessary to plan or de-stress without sacrificing continuity of learning.
Year-round schooling enables a four-day week student week, and we believe it is a
more equitable solution for families. Students can expect to be on campus for four days of regular, outdoor-integrated instruction per week, while the fifth day (Fridays) is reserved for teacher planning, evaluation, and professional learning. This schedule is designed to maximize the benefits and flexibility of a four-day week while continuing to make a concerted effort towards the professional development of our staff.
8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The proposed student start and end dates for the ’25-’26 school year are August 25th, 2025, and August 6th, 2026, respectively.
We are excited to support the community efforts that we anticipate will arise to fill this gap. We are prepared to share space and work closely with community professionals and organizations so a balanced educational experience that combines academic rigor with hands-on, experiential learning alongside our community partners can flourish.
We anticipate encouraging community members and families to make Fridays a time for additional opportunities for students to engage in activities that extend beyond the standard curriculum and are sponsored by community partners and outside experts.
We do not intend to offer transportation services at this time. Data from student and family success planning will be evaluated to see if future offerings are warranted according to student and family needs. Year-end evaluations will include this consideration for discussion at Governing Board meetings.
Our staff and administration are committed to all the students and families who choose to learn at The Red Barn Schoolhouse. We believe our educational programming and approach to assessment and student success are particularly well-suited to serve a diverse range of students. This includes learners eligible for special education services in Iowa. We look forward to building partnerships, operating transparently, continuing to stretch our capacity to meet the wide-ranging unique needs of learners, and delivering comprehensive specially designed instruction (SDI) as required by provisions within the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) . Support for students appears both within our general instructional model and system-wide use of MTSS as well as in specified services, activities, and supports available for students on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
The Red Barn Schoolhouse recognizes the significant potential in all of our students and believes in the capacity of our academic programming and instructional model to deliver highly rigorous, individualized learning that inspires our students and promotes excellence. These beliefs align well with Iowa legislation that requires the offering of Talented and Gifted (TAG) programming at educational institutions. The Red Barn Schoolhouse is committed to complying with all regulation regarding the educating of students identified as TAG, which according to Iowa Code 257.44.
The Red Barn Schoolhouse is committed to the instruction of all individuals and believes that a diverse student body strengthens our community. This includes a commitment to ensuring that English Learners (ELs) are supported in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English, able to succeed in our educational settings, and able to actively participate in the school, community, and beyond. Our staff is positioned well to understand and integrate the ten English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards into both specialized sessions and general content-area practice and to make use of effective ELPA21 (or alternate ELPA21) practices for student assessment.
Students are asked to bring a snack and lunch to school each day. Parents are asked to pack lunches with attention given to the health and growing needs of children. Healthy, well-balanced meals provide essential nutrition for their brains and bodies to perform optimally.
The school does not have the facilities to prepare, warm, or refrigerate school lunches brought from home. Parents are asked to pack lunches with insulated containers that keep food at correct and safe temperatures.
If a child has special dietary issues, parents are asked to make these known to the health office and the class teacher. Food allergies must be reported to the health office to ensure a health plan is in place.
Learning at Red Barn extends beyond teacher instruction to involve parents and community members. Parents are encouraged to participate in learning activities during family time, attend student presentations, and engage in school-wide projects such as the community garden. Teachers will recognize that these collaborative efforts strengthen the school-community bond and enhance the learning environment. We have conceived of at least two projects with which we hope to engage families on an ongoing basis: the development of our children’s garden and Loess Hills restoration.
We plan on maintaining a school-affiliated website as a go-to location for quick answers and communication including pre-admission information, admission and enrollment requirements, programming descriptions, open-meeting materials, public governance documents, information about school culture, special services, academic resources, and an ongoing access to the academic calendar and schedule.
Roughly analogous to traditional parent/teacher conferences. We plan to hold these meetings regularly (once per unit). These are also times to celebrate student achievement, review teacher documentation methods, and support families of need by providing direct lines to resources and success planning strategies.
The primary facility is an historic barn originally built in 1920 and situated on a 160 acre farm located at 20525 Monument Road, Crescent, IA, just five miles from the original Crescent Elementary School. The 4,800 square foot barn was completely renovated in 2023 and has two ADA compliant bathrooms. The surrounding 160 acres includes 30 tillable acres, two large vegetable gardens, and 130 acres of oak woodland. Programming is anticipated to occur on the first and second floors of the barn, in the gardens, and within the surrounding woodlands.
We do not intend to offer co- or extra-curricular programs at this time. Data from student success planning will be evaluated to see if future offerings are warranted according to student and family needs. Year-end evaluations will include this consideration for discussion at Governing Board meetings. Additionally, the Red Barn Schoolhouse looks forward to supporting any community-led efforts and offerings such as 4H, gardening clubs, and community little leagues.
Because our school is a year-round model, we will not be offering summer camps. And there are no plans to offer weekend programs to allow teachers and students to have quality time with their families.