Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Iowa, causing Gov. Kim Reynolds to order schools to shut down mid-March, the closing of a century-old Catholic school in Oelwein was announced, cementing its place among the yearâs biggest education news. The school and its gymnasium gained a new lease on life later when they became vital to Oelweinâs public schoolsâ social distancing needs. The pandemic was a big part of the top local education news stories in 2020, as it surely will be in 2021. Here are some of those top stories: JanUARY SACRED HEART SCHOOL CALLED BACK INTO SERVICE Sacred Heart School would cease offering classes at the end of this school year, Father Ray Atwood announced in January, citing falling enrollment and lack of funds. Yet the Oelwein School leadership was able to integrate not only students of the Catholic school but also to leverage their facilities.