A local author has published a book about the one room school houses that used to be common in Marion County. Helen Boertje studied the history of these schools, and explains what they were like in her book “When One Room Fit All: The Country Schools of Marion County, Iowa.” Boertje says many of the schools consolidated in the 1960’s in response to beliefs that the schools weren’t providing as good of an education as town schools, and farm families were shrinking which meant less students.

Boertje will be signing and reading from her book at the Historical Museum in Marion County Park on Sunday the 14th from 1 to 4pm, and on Thursday October 18th at the Next Chapter in Knoxville at 2pm.