Aide to Senator Harkin to visit Allamakee County June 10 as part of "In the Footsteps of History" Tour

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) recently announced that his aide, Suellen Flynn, will visit Allamakee County Tuesday, June 10 as part of a summer tour highlighting Harkin’s partnership with Iowa communities through the years. The “In the Footsteps of History” tour will include all Iowa counties and feature local projects aimed at keeping Iowa communities healthy and safe, keeping communities thriving through targeted education, research, and economic development projects and promoting local agriculture and conservation, while mitigating disasters.
Flynn will meet with administrators at the Allamakee Community School District at approximately 10:30 a.m., followed by a tour of Waukon High School to see firsthand how schools in the district have benefited from the Iowa Demonstration Construction Grant Program, better known as “Harkin Grants.”
Since 1998, Harkin has secured $132 million in funding for the initiative - the first of its kind in the nation - to repair, modernize and build new schools. As part of the local and federal partnership, the program has leveraged an additional $632 million in state and local funds.
Since 2004, the Allamakee Community School District has received more than $1.7 million for a range of renovation and repair efforts, including updating fire safety systems, an addition to the high school, and providing a satellite Northeast Iowa Community College center and a wellness center.
“Iowa students cannot learn in buildings that are falling apart,” said Harkin. “Working together with state and local communities, this funding has ensured Iowa students are learning in schools that are safe and modern. It was an investment in Iowa’s communities and its kids, and I look forward to learning about the renovations made possible in Allamakee County.”