Episode Details

Iowa gubernatorial hopeful Zach Lahn is turning his troubled Kansas school, Wonder—funded by over $4.5 million in personal loans and plagued by chronic deficits—into a flagship education reform model. Once hailed as an innovative, grade-free haven where kids discover their “calling,” the unaccredited school now faces scrutiny over its financial instability, questionable sustainability, and lack of oversight. Critics warn Lahn could push similar unproven models into Iowa’s public schools at taxpayer cost. Compounding the controversy: his handgun was stolen from the school in 2023, despite his public support for guns on campus—a lapse that raises serious questions about his judgment on student safety. Yet Lahn remains undeterred, pushing for widespread school choice and innovation, insisting his loans were strategically structured to ensure long-term success.

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