A red brick wall near the edge of town bearing the name "Orient Consolidated School" is all that remains of the school system that served this area for more than a century. Nearby, Jeff Kruse, Orient-Macksburg Community School District's former superintendent, points out landmarks beyond the sign marking what used to be the entrance to the three-story, secondary school, now razed. Sinking enrollment (and a corresponding tumble in state aid) eventually sunk the Orient district, and it was left to Kruse to help dissolve the school system by July 1, 2026, and send its remaining 100 students to neighboring school districts. Orient-Macksburg Community School District's closing was the latest in the state's long history of school closings and mergers that go back to Iowa's passage of a school consolidation law in 1906. But in the last three years, school consolidations in Iowa have halted — even as rural enrollment keeps shrinking. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #Iowa #...