PHOTO BY AUSTIN CHADDERDON/SOUL OR SYSTEM PHOTOGRAPHY Dr. Kacie Monroe of Eyecare Associates, left, performs a depth perception test on her son Harrison, right. The Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) and Eyecare Associates have partnered on a program to provide comprehensive eye exams and prescription glasses to 21 students so far during the 2025-2026 school year.

Last year, Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) launched a targeted initiative to ensure that students’ vision needs do not become barriers to learning. Through a partnership with Eyecare Associates of Marshalltown and donations from Rotary and S.T.E.P., 21 students to date have received comprehensive eye exams and prescription glasses — with three more scheduled yet this year.

The initiative, according to Miller Middle School Nurse Christina Jung Malcom and Marshalltown High School (MHS) Nurse Stacey Tool-Crawford, reflects the MCSD’s deep commitment to nurturing the whole child — addressing not only academic needs but also the essential elements of health, confidence, and well-being that allow every student to succeed.

“The Marshalltown Community School District serves over 5,000 students throughout 10 school buildings. In each of these buildings are nine dedicated nursing professionals caring for our students’ healthcare needs. With these healthcare needs comes unexpected and oftentimes costly expenses that are an economic burden for some of the families of students we serve. We hope through generous community support, we can continue to help fill this gap specifically related to vision. Historically, we have found that vision care is often overlooked by families that have limited resources,” they said.

Until 2025, school nurses have been given vision vouchers for students that do not have health insurance allowing these students to get an eye exam and a pair of glasses through the Vision Service Plan (VSP) Eyes of Hope program. In July 2024, however, the program went on hold. “As a result, we encountered challenges in securing timely and consistent eye care services for the students who benefited from the program. As proud partners in our community, and in recognition of the barriers many of our families face when traveling outside the area for appointments, we are committed to supporting local businesses whenever possible. For these reasons, we are seeking to continue our partnership with Eyecare Associates of Marshalltown to ensure students receive accessible, high-quality care close to home,” Tool-Crawford and Jung Malcom said.

Tool-Crawford credited Jung Malcom for her efforts in finding grants and praised Eyecare Associates, now operated by Drs. Kacie Monroe and Collin Edwards since the retirement of Dr. Abie Chadderdon, for its longstanding partnership and commitment to helping MCSD students.

“We saw that we had this gap in services for our students having vision needs, and so Christina has been just amazing and she stepped up,” Tool-Crawford said.

Jung Malcom added that when the federal program was put on pause, they first connected with the local Lions Club to help three students, but that was only a temporary solution before they secured grants from the student philanthropy group STEP and the Rotary Club of Marshalltown.

“We’re looking to see if we can maybe get more revenue stream because out of the grant money that we did get, we’re down to just $1,000 left. So we’re hoping that by highlighting some of our current donors, we could do it as a thank you and appreciation for what they’ve given us so far but also to see if maybe there were more donors that would be willing to donate in the community or even outside of the community just so that we can continue to keep the program going because it has been so successful.”

Research conducted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, involving more than 2,000 elementary and middle school students, demonstrates that children who received free eye exams and glasses through school-based vision programs showed measurable improvements in academic performance after one year.

MCSD staff are seeking support through this program to fund vision care for students whose families lack insurance coverage or the financial resources to fully cover the cost of exams and corrective lenses.

“At MCSD, our commitment is unwavering: to place students’ education, health, and well-being first. When students’ basic needs go unmet, learning becomes secondary — if not altogether unattainable. By investing in vision care, this program directly removes a fundamental barrier to student success,” the nurses said. “Together, we can build a stronger, more compassionate school community where every child is equipped to learn, grow, and thrive.”

In addition to partnering with the district, Eyecare Associates has also provided discounts on care to make the money go farther, and Monroe, a mother of school age children herself, is happy to give back.

“As small business owners, we (Dr. Edwards and I) are so thankful to have the support of our community. Eyecare Associates has been in the Marshalltown, Toledo and Conrad communities for over 40 years. It is essential that we support our community just as they support us. This partnership with the school district was natural, and just one way we can give back. School nurses are a wonderful resource, doing essential work within our schools. We are thrilled for this opportunity to work with them to provide kids with the best environment for learning,” Monroe said.