Statement from the ICCSD Board of Education

The Iowa City Community School District Board of Education received Director Jayne Finch’s resignation on Friday, August 21. We thank Director Finch for the time and energy she has devoted to our district and community during her five years of service on the Board. The Board will discuss how to fill this vacancy at our August 25 regular meeting.

Director Finch’s resignation follows a difficult week for the Board. Our August 19 workshop, designed to strengthen our governance, financial oversight, and ability to work effectively together, included a heated exchange among Board members. We recognize that aspects of the exchange did not reflect the standards for Board conduct established in our policies. We are sorry that we did not meet the standard our community should expect from its Board. 

Disagreements are an inevitable—and often valuable—part of public governance. We do not have to agree with one another to govern effectively. We do, however, have a responsibility to engage in disagreement productively, listen to one another, and remain focused on the work our community elected us to do, in accordance with our policies. We are committed to meeting that standard.

That work is especially important now. Since significant financial problems came to light earlier this year, our district has made meaningful progress toward recovery. New financial leadership is in place, accounting and reconciliation processes have been rebuilt, our audits are on track to be caught up by this coming March, and our new community-based Financial Oversight Committee has begun its work. Our focus going forward will be on bringing our financial position within all parameters set by our policies and meeting the requirements of the State’s School Budget Review Committee (SBRC).

In the year ahead, we will also engage our community in important conversations about how we use our resources to continue to best serve students and build for a strong future. We believe our responsibility is to approach these conversations thoughtfully and transparently, with meaningful community involvement and a focus on ensuring that ICCSD can serve all students with excellence for decades to come.

As we begin this school year, we know our teachers and staff are working hard every day to provide the very best education to all our students. We are excited to open the doors to our schools, and we celebrate the work teachers, staff, and students do every day. The Board is committed to doing the work necessary to ensure the Iowa City Community School District continues to thrive.