Education

Buchanan County, Iowa is not only the location for expanding business, local school districts are also expanding educational facilities and resources to give local students quality education to fuel a prosperous future.  Buchanan County Schools and their educators are forward thinkers and participate in many opportunities to tie education to the workforce such as participating in the Iowa STEM Externship program and Future Ready Iowa initiatives including Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship programs.

The Hawkeye Community College Center which is located in the Independence Junior/Senior High School is continually expanding the classes they offer for college credit to area high school students. These are offered along with business and community education courses for local residents including welding and CNC Machining training. Besides Hawkeye Community College there are seven additional higher education institutions, with two of these being state universities.   The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and University of Iowa in Iowa City, within a 30-60 minute drive of the county seat, Independence.

At the PK-12 education level, Buchanan County houses sections of eight school districts with modernized facilities so the children of the communities can prepare for their futures effectively. The county is also served by religious-based parochial schools. Each school district is continually striving to create programs that will contribute to the students’ future endeavors by preparing them for their professional lives.

• East Buchanan Community School (Aurora, Quasqueton, Winthrop)
• Jesup Community School (Jesup)
• Independence Community School District (Brandon, Independence, Rowley)
• Waspie Valley Community Schools (Fairbank)
• Oelwein Community School District (Hazleton, Stanley)
• Starmont Community School District (Lamont)

• St. Athanasius School (Jesup)
• St. John  School (Independence, Brandon, Winthrop, Rowley)
• Jesup Early Childhood Center 
• Independence Early Childhood Center