The Storm Lake Community School District is about to open a new kind of classroom — one built for students who need more than a desk and a textbook to succeed.
The Iowa Department of Education announced yesterday the allocation of more than $2.35 million in therapeutic classroom grants to 10 school districts statewide to support students whose emotional or behavioral needs make it difficult to thrive in a traditional setting.
Storm Lake is one of the recipients in this sixth year of funding, which was created by state legislation in 2020 to expand mental health supports for children and families. The grants help school districts establish therapeutic classrooms — specialized learning environments designed to provide skill building, coping strategies, mental health treatment and crisis intervention for learners ages 3 through 21.
State officials say these classrooms are meant to be vibrant, safe spaces that meet students where they are. Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow praised this year’s awardees for modeling best practices in treatment, crisis prevention and healthy learning environments.
Storm Lake’s new classroom will be part of a statewide expansion: in total, the 10 awarded districts will establish 19 new therapeutic classrooms, serving more than 215 students across 15 counties beginning this fall.
Along with Storm Lake, the districts receiving grants include Cedar Falls, George‑Little Rock, Lewis Central in Council Bluffs, Oskaloosa, South Tama County, Spirit Lake, United in Boone, Van Buren County in Keosauqua and Winterset.
The grants were awarded competitively, with priority given to first‑time applicants and returning districts that had not previously received funding. Awardees represent all seven of Iowa’s Behavioral Health Districts and include small, medium and large school systems.
