NORTHWOOD, Iowa — The model for one successful partnership in northern Iowa is being mirrored in another community, more than 500 miles away, with hopes of the same successful results.

The owners of Diamond Jo Casino, Peninsula Gaming Partners, presented a proposal for a new property in the community of Mulvane, Kan.

Kim Koenigs, executive director of the Worth County Development Authority, presented the educational component of the proposed Kansas Star casino destination to the Kansas Lottery Gaming Commission on Oct. 28.

If Peninsula Gaming is selected to receive the new Kansas license, the Kansas Star will include the same educational programs implemented by the WCDA in Worth County.

WCDA is the nonprofit co-licensee for Diamond Jo Casino. Since 2006, Diamond Jo Casino has distributed more than $15 million to the WCDA for local nonprofits in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota.

Koenigs helped create WCDA and continues to administer its programs. She said she was called in to help with the Kansas Star proposal because in Kansas, gaming operators hold the license and the operations, unlike in Iowa where a nonprofit holds the license and the casino holds the operations.

“Iowa is very unique, for the nonprofit to hold the license,” she said. “Peninsula is a great community partner and the programs WCDA have done are pretty original. They saw how much it’s helped out our community, and asked me to come and present to the gaming officials in Kansas.”

Since Diamond Jo Casino opened, WCDA has distributed $2,187,523 in scholarships, more than $600,000 for K-12 teacher classroom funding and spent more than $500,000 towards preschool tuition and school supplies for students.

In addition, WCDA has distributed grants totaling $3,184,420.96 to six regional school districts through their grant program.

“These educational programs all work together to help support students and teachers,” Koenigs said. “There is nothing more important to a community’s sustainability than its commitment to education.”

Kim Pang, general manager of Diamond Jo Casino, said that their partnership with the WCDA is a great model for the proposed Kansas Star project and for Mulvane.

“Long before the casino was built, WCDA had the dream,” Pang said. “Their schools needed help and a dedicated group of local leaders worked with Peninsula to make sure they not only received a casino, but the casino was part of an economic development plan to strengthen their schools and their community.”

Under the Kansas Star proposal, a nonprofit, community-based organization patterned after the WCDA would be established to oversee the operations of a “Kansas All Stars” fund to give financial support to all students in Sumner County and Mulvane. The operations would be overseen by a non-profit board comprised of local and state civic and education leaders, much like WCDA in Worth County.

Koenigs said that under the Kansas Star proposal, every Sumner County and Mulvane student in kindergarten through 12th grade would be given a $100 credit to be used to offset the cost of school supplies each fall. In addition, every high school senior in that area would be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship to be used for post-secondary education.

All classroom teachers in the Mulvane and Sumner County School Districts would also be given $500 each year to use for classroom supplies. Any annual revenues not used for these educational purposes would be remitted to Sumner County.

“Another cornerstone of the project is the establishment of an annual $1.5 million educational scholarship program to benefit all local students and their families,” said Koenigs.

If Peninsula is approved for the Kansas Star project, Koenigs hopes to assist in implementing its non-profit program to ensure the same success in Mulvane that the partnership between Diamond Jo Casino and WCDA has resulted in here.

“It’s pretty exciting and amazing what we did and continue to do in Worth County,” she added.