DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Education released 2024 fall certified enrollment numbers for public school districts and accredited nonpublic schools as well as open enrollment numbers and participants in the Students First Education Savings Account program for the 2024-25 school year.

Public school district certified enrollment was similar to last year at 480,665, compared to 483,699 with a change of less than one percent (-0.63%). State enrollment projections from May 2022, prior to the passing of the Students First Education Savings Account (ESA) program, show a downward trend in public school enrollment starting in the 2023-24 school year and continuing through at least 2026-27.

Certified enrollment at Iowa accredited nonpublic schools was 39,356, up from 36,195 last year. A total of 27,866 participants used their Students First ESA at an accredited nonpublic school as of the Oct. 1 certified enrollment date. Additionally, more than 43,000 public school students open enrolled in a public school outside of their home district, representing about 9% of total 2024 public school district certified enrollment.

The certified enrollment count is a snapshot in time, taken on the first day of October every year or the following Monday if the first falls on a weekend. Certified enrollment is used to determine funding for public schools and differs slightly from the actual headcount of students enrolled. Certified enrollment in October of any given year drives funding for the next fiscal year. Fall 2024 numbers will be used to determine public school funding for the 2025-26 school year.

About 6.8% of the student ESA participants attended a public K-12 school in the previous school year, and about 14.2% of the student ESA participants were entering kindergarten students.

• 1,905 ESA participants attended an Iowa public K-12 school last year.
• 3,960 ESA participants were entering kindergarten students.

A breakdown of public school districts that have ESA participants who reside within their district boundaries is as follows:

• 13.5% of districts (n=44) had no ESA students living within their district boundaries.
• 37.5% of districts (n=122) had 1-10 ESA students living within their district boundaries.
• 28.9% of districts (n=94) had 11-99 ESA students living within their district boundaries.
• 20.0% of districts (n=65) had 100 or more ESA students living within their boundaries.

The number of participants using their ESA differs from the total number of applications that were approved by the Sept. 30 program close date. Some participants withdrew prior to the Oct. 1 certified enrollment date and others had an approved ESA but did not use it.

Certified enrollment for 2024-25 by public school district and accredited nonpublic school, including the number of ESA students by resident school district, is available on the PK-12 Education Statistics page of the Department’s website under Public School Certified Enrollment Summary by District 2024-2025 and 2024-2025 Nonpublic Schools Certified Enrollment.

By Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa)

A new study from the Iowa Pork Producers Association finds the hog industry contributed more than $15-billion to Iowa’s economy last year. Association spokesman Kevin Hall says the study, which is done every four years, identified nearly 5,200 pig farms statewide.

“We provide about one-third of the nation’s pork, and that reinforces our position as the number-one pork producing state in the entire nation,” Hall says. “We are vital to Iowa’s economy, creating more than 120,000 jobs for the state, and it really provides a solid backbone for the state of Iowa’s economy and especially our rural communities.”

Among those jobs, the study says 64,000 are in hog production, 39,000 are in hog slaughter, and another 16,000 jobs are in hog processing. Overall, Hall says the pork industry contributed $15. billion to Iowa’s economy last year.

“When we did the study four years ago, it was $11.9-billion in value-added activities, so almost four-billion more now to the state’s economy in 2024 than it was in 2020,” Hall says, “and it just shows that Iowa pig farmers are vital to the state’s economy.”

Next week, a new administration will take over the White House and there’s much discussion about threatened tariffs and the impact on international trade. Hall remains optimistic about the future and the role Iowa pork will play in it.

“We’re going to keep an eye on what’s happening and just keep doing what we’re doing,” Hall says. “Iowa’s pig farmers, they’ve had a rough couple years in terms of their personal economies, but they are still working hard and creating jobs all over the state, 120,000 jobs in the state alone, and they’re just going to keep working hard and producing great pork products.”

The study says the top five Iowa counties for hog inventories are: Washington, Sioux, Lyon, Plymouth, and Hardin. Among those, Washington, Sioux and Lyon counties each have more than one-million pigs.

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is advising Iowa pet owners to keep their cats and dogs away from sick or deceased wild birds and animals. Pet owners should also discourage indoor/outdoor cats from hunting wildlife because of the ongoing threat posed by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 HPAI) circulating within wild and migratory birds.

Tips to Help Keep Your Pets Healthy

• Keep pets away from dead wildlife, including birds.
• Do not allow your pet to kill or eat wildlife.
• Do not feed pets raw, undercooked, or unpasteurized frozen or freeze-dried milk, eggs, meat or organs.
  • Cooking or heat-treating pet food to appropriate temperatures inactivates H5N1 HPAI.
  • Freeze dried and frozen unpasteurized pet food is often considered raw and can pose a risk to pets.
• Keep your pet away from livestock including poultry and dairy cattle.
• Wash your hands and change your clothes after interacting with livestock and before interacting with pets.

About H5N1 HPAI

H5N1 HPAI is a viral disease that can travel in wild and migratory birds and is often fatal to domestic bird populations, including chickens and turkeys. H5N1 HPAI can also impact dairy cattle and other mammals, including dogs and cats.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently reported a resurgence of H5N1 HPAI within wild and migratory birds in Iowa. Several states have confirmed cases of H5N1 HPAI in cats, with several tied to the consumption of raw milk, uncooked pet food, or interactions with diseased wildlife, including birds. Recently, a predominantly outdoor domestic cat in Hamilton County displayed clinical signs consistent with H5N1 HPAI and tested positive for H5N1 HPAI after the veterinarian ruled out other diseases.

Signs of H5N1 HPAI in Pets

If your pet exhibits clinical signs of HPAI, please contact your veterinarian. Cats and dogs can both get H5N1 HPAI, but cats are more susceptible. Clinical signs may include:

• Fever
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Red eyes
• Respiratory signs (eye or nose discharge)
• Neurological signs (tremors, seizures, incoordination, blindness)
• Sudden death

Pet owners should always consult their veterinarians if they have questions about the health and wellbeing of their animals.

Guidance for Veterinarians

Iowa veterinarians should call the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305 if they see cats or dogs displaying signs of H5N1 HPAI and have ruled out other potential diseases.

Food Safety 
It remains safe to enjoy eggs and poultry products. As a reminder, consumers should always properly handle and cook eggs and poultry products, including cooking to an internal temperature of 165˚F. There is also no concern about the safety of pasteurized milk or dairy products. Pasteurization has continually proven to successfully inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk.

Public Health 
There are some instances of humans contracting H5N1 HPAI as a result of their connection to an infected poultry or dairy farm. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to stress the threat to the general public remains low. To date, there are no confirmed cases of HPAI spreading from human-to-human, dog- or cat-to-human, cat-to-cat or dog-to-dog. Any questions related to public health should be directed to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.