Dubuque Community School District
The school board approved requests for additional spending authority to cover 2026 special education and English-language-program deficits.
Read the full storyDes Moines Independent Community School District
Iowa City Community School District
Marshalltown Community School District
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Council Bluffs Community School District
The district’s general fund recorded a $4.4 million shortfall in FY2025 and a further $1.162 million shortfall in FY2026, leaving its fund balance at about $4.3 million. The reported solvency ratio was 2.68%, below the 5% floor discussed with new financial-metrics policies at their first reading.
Council Bluffs Community School District
The board approved ending the district’s YMCA partnership for its statewide voluntary preschool classroom for this school year. A certified teacher resigned just before classes began, and the YMCA could not find a replacement; the district said the partnership could resume next year if staffing is available.
Marshalltown Community School District
Marshalltown CSD is moving employee criminal-history records from a Google Drive location to encrypted storage kept in a locked cabinet and closet accessible only to HR staff. The district said an internal audit found that technology personnel could also access the Drive where the records were stored.
Manson Northwest Webster Community School District
The board approved a request for $317,239.08 in allowable growth for a negative special-education balance. The minutes identify the amount and purpose but do not provide a breakdown of the deficit or explain the funding timeline.
Des Moines Independent Community School District
The Des Moines Public Schools board approved Matt Smith’s superintendent contract and appointed him as the district’s next superintendent in a 7–0 vote on Sept. 15, 2026.
Dubuque Community School District
Bryant Elementary has begun implementing the i-Ready Math curriculum for the new school year; teachers have completed the introductory lesson and started lesson one.
Dubuque Community School District
The district reports that voters approved renewal and an increase of its Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, putting the levy in place for the next 10 years.
Dubuque Community School District
After an August 20 fire, Jefferson Middle School temporarily relocated offsite for just over a week while the building was treated, deep-cleaned and tested; students have now returned.
Knoxville Community School District
The board approved a request for supplemental aid to address a negative special education balance of $526,359.58. The minutes record approval of the request, not an award of the funds.
Cedar Rapids Community School District
The district reported a preliminary projection that enrollment will fall by 275 students from last year's count, representing about $2.8 million in revenue implications.
Cedar Rapids Community School District
Larson Construction lowered the guaranteed maximum price for the new Hoover Elementary School and Meadow Creek Elementary School projects by nearly $6.5 million.
Council Bluffs Community School District
At the July 28, 2026 board meeting, new Superintendent Dr. Ramey was introduced to the board and public, succeeding Dr. Morrell, and gave opening remarks about continuing the district's work.
Council Bluffs Community School District
The board approved (waiving second reading) updates to policy 5.12.2 and related regulations governing classroom removal of disruptive students, distinguishing procedures for K-5 (30-minute return) versus 6-12 (next-day-earliest return), defining violent disruption/assault criteria requiring removal, and codifying a teacher appeal-to-board process, in compliance with Senate File 2428.
Council Bluffs Community School District
The board received and accepted the FY25 (year ended June 30, 2025) independent audit from Eide Bailly. While the district received a clean/unmodified opinion overall, the audit identified three material weaknesses (preparation of financial statements, material audit adjustments including a prior-period restatement, and segregation of duties), two significant deficiencies (incomplete employee I-9 forms and inadequate monitoring of purchasing card expenditures, including personal purchases made on a district credit card), a federal single-audit finding tied to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program related to the same credit card misuse, and state compliance findings including expenditures exceeding the certified budget in instruction and support services, and one student activity account with a deficit balance.
Iowa City Community School District
The report reveals that in fall 2025 the former CFO authorized a $10 million interfund loan from the health insurance fund to the general fund to cover a September 2025 payroll shortfall, without seeking board approval, reportedly believing state contact was sufficient. The loan remained outstanding into January 2026 when district leadership discovered it, consulted legal counsel, and the board retroactively approved the loan resolution on January 27, 2026. The loan carries a 7% interest rate and must legally be repaid by October 1, 2026; the district separately took a $7.32 million interfund loan from general fund to the SAVE fund to cover debt payments and drew $8 million on a line of credit at 7% interest through Hills Bank.
Iowa City Community School District
The Financial Oversight Committee reviewed the district's FY25 School Budget Review Committee (SBRC) submission, which shows the district's categorical restricted fund balances exceeded its regular program balance, producing a calculated unrestricted balance of approximately -$4.66 million before adjustments. The report states the district previously told the SBRC in December 2025 that its financial position was strong and that categorical balance use reflected intentional strategic planning, but the district now acknowledges those figures were inaccurate and that the district was, in fact, overspending, driven by 9% month-over-month payroll growth against a 2.75% budgeted growth assumption.
Council Bluffs Community School District
The board approved creation of an Alternative Secondary Teacher position and job description, combining the previous ARC and Transitions roles into one position serving at-risk 6th-12th grade students at Kanesville.
Louisa-Muscatine Community School District
At a September 2, 2026 special meeting, the board voted to authorize Bray Architects and the superintendent to submit initial plans to the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing for either remediating the old bus garage/barn or replacing it with a same-footprint new building, contingent on a structural inspection. If the existing structure cannot last 10-15 years without additional expense, the board will reconvene to discuss new building options, potentially including a new wrestling facility.
Iowa City Community School District
At a September 1, 2026 Financial Oversight Committee meeting, the district's outside auditor detailed multiple material weaknesses and significant deficiencies found in the FY24 audit—including inadequate segregation of duties over payroll, cash disbursements, and receipts; insufficient reconciliation of cash accounts; a roughly $8 million government-wide revenue restatement; deficit student activity fund balances; and an unauthorized $10 million interfund loan. Officials confirmed the FY23 and FY24 single audits were not filed within the required nine-month federal deadline, making the district a high-risk auditee, and many of the same weaknesses are expected to repeat in the FY25 audit. The district is bringing in a retired school business official temporarily and has posted to hire an experienced SBO, while committee members debated whether additional outside consultants are needed to fix root causes.
Des Moines Independent Community School District
At the September 1, 2026 board meeting, multiple speakers, including the teachers' union (DMEA) president and several affected teachers, described a late-August staffing shakeup in which more than 50 teachers (roughly 2% of the ~5,100-employee workforce) were involuntarily reassigned to new positions, buildings, or grade/subject levels only two to three days before the first day of school. Speakers said principals were often not consulted and that decisions were driven by enrollment numbers and endorsements without input on individual teacher expertise, roster relationships, or leadership roles.
Des Moines Independent Community School District
A parent told the board that after her children's school added a sixth grade last year, the band and orchestra programs were discontinued there, meaning students who previously could start instrumental music will no longer have that option at the same grade level.
Iowa City Community School District
Multiple public commenters at the August 25, 2026 board meeting confirmed that Director Jayne Finch resigned from the ICCSD Board of Directors following a contentious board retreat the prior week. The board's meeting agenda includes filling the vacant board seat.
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