Iowa City schools looking to sell former HQ to city The Iowa City Community School District is looking at selling its former district headquarters to the city of Iowa City for $3.2 million.

The Iowa City Community School District is looking at selling its former district headquarters to the city of Iowa City for $3.2 million.
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Cedar Rapids schools sues state over loss of $18M in spending authority The Cedar Rapids school district is suing the Iowa Department of Education over a decision to reduce their spending authority by $18 million over the next two years.

The Cedar Rapids school district is petitioning a judge to overturn a decision by the Iowa Department of Education that limits its spending authority by $18 million over the next two years to fund programs for students in at-risk/alternative education.

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If you listen to the full story, he does address that Blietz has been fired from Cedar Rapids Prep.

This school planning expert helps Iowa schools make data-informed decisions Rob Schwarz is a school planning expert, analyzing enrollment trends and boundaries for districts across the Midwest — including Cedar Rapids — so school leaders can make data-driven decisions.

Rob Schwarz is a school planning expert, analyzing enrollment trends and boundaries for districts across the Midwest — including Cedar Rapids — so school leaders can make data-driven decisions. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Cory Turner, the journalist on this story, reached out to me and an IPR reporter several times throughout his reporting. I appreciate the deep care he took in ensuring he accurately represented our community, and I think the story perfectly encapsulates this moment in K-12 education.

School choice is booming in Iowa. Are students better off? With school choice programs ascendant not just in Iowa but across the U.S., Cedar Rapids offers a preview of who wins and who loses when education meets the free market.

From @npr.org: Iowa went all-in on school choice. It's hurting this city's public schools
www.npr.org/2026/04/19/n...

How can Iowa schools move from competition to collaboration? 2026 Iowa Ideas In-Depth Day YouTube video by The Gazette

I had an interesting conversation during our Iowa Ideas In-Depth day on K-12 Education just last week about this very topic with charter and public school leaders where we talked about if schools could move from competition to collaboration. You can check it out here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNKv...

Iowa House lawmakers advance state aid increase for charter schools Iowa lawmakers also OK'd lifting the cap on the number of nonrelated students allowed to be instructed in a homeschool setting at the same time.

Legislation creating more support for charter schools, requiring certain state aid to follow students to charter schools and allows charter schoolteachers to opt into the state’s public employee retirement program. @thegazette.com www.thegazette.com/news/politic...

Iowa City school board member questions if district can fulfill promise of $14.5M toward construction of new Coralville Recreation Center An Iowa City school board member questioned if the district can fulfill its promise of $14.5 million toward construction of new Coralville Recreation Center and pool.

Iowa City school board member Mitch Lingo is questioning the district’s ability to fulfill its promise to contribute $14 million for the construction of Coralville’s new recreation center after years of overspending and recent budget cutting. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Families, educators in Iowa City schools to be surveyed on use of laptops in the classroom Parents are advocating for the Iowa City district to examine its use of Chromebooks, especially in elementary classrooms, as a way to reduce costs.

A district-issued survey will gather feedback from families in Iowa City schools on their student’s use of laptops and possibly inform a new plan for how technology should be used in the classroom beginning in August. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Iowa City district did not follow financial action plan Iowa City school district’s business office failed for years to implement corrective actions submitted to a state financial oversight board in November 2023.

The Iowa City school district’s business office — which manages the district’s spending and sets budgets — failed to implement corrective actions submitted to a state financial oversight board in November 2023. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Cedar Rapids families could request different district school Cedar Rapids families impacted by proposed school closures and boundary changes could permit into the school of their choice for the 2026-27 school year, but not all requests to be

Students in the Cedar Rapids district affected by proposed school closures and boundary changes could request the school of their choice for the 2026-27 school year, but seats may not be available at all schools. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Iowa child care assistance for child care workers signed into law More Iowa child care workers will be able to receive state financial assistance for their own child care costs under legislation signed into law Thursday by Gov. Kim Reynolds

A new law expands a pilot program that provided state-funded financial assistance for workers at child care facilities for their own child care costs. @erindmurphy.bsky.social www.thegazette.com/news/state/i...

Iowa’s 4-year high school graduation rate exceeds pre-pandemic levels Cedar Rapids and Iowa City school district’s graduation rates see significant growth, while Cedar Rapids remains below the state average

Iowa’s 2025 four-year high school graduation rate is the highest it has been in the past five years and the first time since 2020 that it has exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

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Iowa coalition advocates for charter school growth Here’s how the Iowa Coalition for Public Charter Schools launches and supports public charter schools in the state.

The Iowa Coalition for Public Charter Schools has helped facilitate the approval of more than a dozen new public charter schools across the state, advocates for them to lawmakers and continues to support the schools after they’ve opened to students.

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Iowa House lawmakers consider contract with AI company to analyze county, school budgets The capabilities of the technology were laid out during a House Government Oversight Committee meeting on Tuesday, where lawmakers heard from Mark Welch of Tyler Technologies.

Iowa lawmakers are mulling a multi-million dollar contract with a technology company to use artificial intelligence for analyzing local government and school district budgets across the state as they look for ways to cut government spending. @thegazette.com www.thegazette.com/news/politic...

Iowa Ideas In-Depth Day: K-12 Education Iowa Ideas is a free, annual virtual conference designed to gather Iowans from all perspectives to explore, discuss, and offer solutions.

Join me next week to talk about school choice in Iowa. I'll be leading discussions about how public schools are trying to compete and if schools can find ways to move from competition to collaboration with growing school options. Register for free here events.zoom.us/ev/AslZNYgyF...

Iowa City school board should consider closing schools to reduce costs, financial adviser says The Iowa City school district is planning to borrow $35 million over the next two years to maintain adequate cash to cover payroll, repay a $10 million loan and repay

Iowa City school leaders will have to make “hard choices” and possibly consider closing schools as the district works on a plan to get out of debt after overspending, financial advisers for the district said last week at a school board work session. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Iowa City suspends plan to pilot before- and after-school care A roundup of local government news, including the closure of the Third Avenue Bridge for repairs this summer in Cedar Rapids.

The Iowa City Community School District is suspending its plans to pilot its own before- and after-school program amid ongoing budget challenges.

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Cedar Rapids Prep Charter principal terminated this week as second harassment charge is filed Cedar Rapids Prep Charter principal terminated this week as another harassment charge was filed

The principal of the Cedar Rapids Prep charter school Justin Blietz was fired last week after being accused last month of threatening to “slit” a woman’s throat. @thegazette.com www.thegazette.com/news/crime-a...

Families question proposed Cedar Rapids school boundaries The Cedar Rapids school board is considering closing schools and changing attendance boundaries in an effort to save money and create equity across buildings.

A proposal to close schools and change attendance boundaries in the Cedar Rapids district has families asking questions about where their child would go to school, the logistics of transportation, and what happens to the buildings that are closed. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Iowa City school district names new CFO amid financial uncertainty The Iowa City school district has named Pat Moore — who has almost three decades of experience in Iowa school finance — as its next chief financial officer.

The Iowa City school district has named Pat Moore — who has almost three decades of experience in Iowa school finance — as its next chief financial officer, pending board approval this month. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Some awesome maps were just added to the story! Check it out to see how the proposed changes could impact where your child goes to school.

This story was updated at 10 a.m. April 1, to add details about capacity use of district schools under proposed boundary changes.

Check back in tomorrow for a story about how families react to the proposed boundary changes at tonight's open houses.

The presentation was added to board documents late yesterday afternoon, so we're still working to get maps added to this story. In the meantime, here's the link to the presentation made to the school board Tuesday simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/Att...

Proposed Cedar Rapids school boundary changes may send students to new schools The proposed changes to Cedar Rapids District's school attendance boundaries aim to establish a solid feeder pattern alongside balancing school enrollments. This could ensure that cohorts of students ...

Proposed Cedar Rapids school boundary changes would send some students to new schools. Families can get a closer look at the proposals 6 p.m. tonight at open houses at each of the high schools. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Land where now-demolished Hills Elementary School sat sold by Iowa City schools to City of Hills City of Hills buys former Iowa City schools elementary land with plans to possibly build a new fire station.

The Iowa City Community School District last week sold almost seven acres of land — where Hills Elementary School was located — to the city of Hills. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Construction continues on Freshmen Academies at Jefferson, Washington Construction on time, parent advisory meetings reconvene as Cedar Rapids school leaders plan curriculum and launch of College & Career Pathways program

The concrete under construction at Jefferson and Washington high schools soon will be classrooms that include two-story lab spaces where students can gain experience in engineering, manufacturing, woodworking and other high-demand career fields. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...

Cedar Rapids Washington High School’s speech team — where students find belonging — brings home Critic’s Choice award 5 years in a row Cedar Rapids Washington High School’s speech team brings home All State award.

Washington High School’s speech team was named Critic’s Choice — essentially the equivalent of being named state champions — for their readers theatre performance last month depicting the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. www.thegazette.com/news/educati...