Allamakee Community School District among PIE award winners through Iowa State Auditor

State of Iowa Auditor Rob Sand announced Thursday, January 22 the 2026 winners of the Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) program, designed to help Iowa communities slash waste and save tax dollars by sharing creative, common-sense ideas to improve efficiency. Among those PIE award winners is the Allamakee Community School District which shared the honor of Best Performing Class 3A Community School District with South Tama and Okoboji Community School Districts.

Auditor Sand will personally deliver a pie to each award winner in the coming months. “I want to congratulate the winning communities and thank all the PIE participants for making Iowa taxpayers a priority,” said Sand. “PIE proves that innovation and partnership can make government better for every Iowan.”

Auditor Sand launched the nationally recognized PIE program in 2019 to promote fiscal responsibility and encourage collaboration among communities. Participation increased 55% in the first two years, with approximately 500 counties, cities, and school districts in every county in the state submitting annual entries. Their PIE recipes run the gamut, from creating new revenue streams by capturing and selling methane gas produced by a landfill to adjusting heating and cooling schedules to maximize energy efficiency.

“The PIE recipe is sweet and simple: small changes can lead to significant savings for local governments, and when they share their ideas statewide, it unlocks potential savings in the millions of dollars,” said Sand. “That’s why I’m asking the legislature to pass a law that would make PIE a state-backed program, ensuring that every public entity in Iowa has access to these innovative ideas through an annual report compiled by the State Auditor.”