RBS Story
Our Story
The Founding Group, Crescent Community School Alliance (CCSA), was formed in 2017 to work with the Council Bluffs Community School District (CBCSD) and provided an outdoor natural area and classroom in addition to after-school art activities.
The former Crescent Elementary School was a keystone to the community for over 120 years. It was one of the highest-achieving schools in the CBCSD and received the National Blue Ribbon Award for academic excellence in 2012. CBCSD closed our rural school in May of 2023. The CCSA Founding Group, doing business as Red Barn Schoolhouse, collaborated with the community and submitted an application. The application for a public charter school was approved by the Iowa State Board of Education in January 2025 as an educational option to serve the area.
Our public charter school will build on the strong foundation of the former Crescent Elementary School, grounded in Iowa State Standards, extended with learning environments rooted in art, nature, and community.
The school will open in August 2026
Demographics
The Red Barn Schoolhouse will provide a high-quality, local educational experience in Loess Hills for up to 100 students in K-5.
The primary service areas for the school are Crescent and Honey Creek with roughly 6,900 people (2,6700 households). The secondary market includes the communities of Neola, Underwood and northern Council Bluffs with a population base of 22,760 persons.
