Important District Updates & What's Ahead

It has been wonderful to see our students and staff back in our schools this week! There is always a different energy in our buildings when students return, and we are excited to have the 2026-27 school year underway.

Following Tuesday night's Board Meeting, we wanted to share updates on several important areas of work happening across our district.

Superintendent Search
The Board approved a Request for Proposals (RFP) for superintendent search services, officially beginning the process of selecting a firm to lead the search for our next superintendent. Once a search firm is selected, we will share more information about the process, timeline, and opportunities for community input. The new superintendent will begin July 1, 2027.

Financial Update
The Board received an update from our Chief Financial Officer on the continued work to bring our district's financial reporting and processes up to date. The update included the status of bank reconciliations, tax filings, and our ongoing audit work.

Our current timeline estimates that the FY25 audit will be finalized and delivered to the Board in November 2026, followed by the FY26 audit in March 2027. Completion of those audits will bring us current with our annual financial audits. Additional information is available in the supporting documents from the CFO's report.

In addition, during our meeting in June with the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC), we were asked to provide an update in October on our financial position. The documents that will be provided to the SBRC were approved by the Board. 

We will continue providing regular financial updates to the Board and our community as this work progresses.

Anticipatory Financing
As part of our ongoing financial planning, the Board will consider a recommendation at its September 3 Special Board Meeting to authorize up to $8 million in anticipatory warrants.

This authorization would provide us with access to short-term financing only if it becomes necessary to manage the timing between when revenues are received and when expenses are due.

We also want to be clear that there is no concern about our ability to meet payroll obligations. This is a proactive step to ensure we have the appropriate financial resources available should temporary financing be needed while we continue working to strengthen the District's overall financial position.

Board Vacancy
The Board also discussed the vacancy created by the resignation of Director Jayne Finch and has begun the process of appointing someone to serve in the open seat.

Community members who are interested in serving on the Board are invited to complete the Board Vacancy Application. The individual selected will serve from September 15, 2026, through the next school board election in November 2027. Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, and should be submitted to Board Secretary Kim Colvin at colvin.kim@iowacityschools.org.

The Board will hold a special meeting on September 15, 2026, to appoint the new director.

Enrollment Analysis & Attendance Area Planning
We have contracted with RSP & Associates to conduct an updated enrollment analysis and assist with a comprehensive review of our attendance areas. This work will help us better understand where enrollment is growing or declining, how our buildings are being utilized, and how our attendance areas can best support students and schools into the future.

This work is also connected to our broader financial planning. We know the District will need to make additional budget adjustments this year. These are difficult conversations, and no decisions have yet been made.

That is why community engagement will be such an important part of this process. We want families, staff, students, and community members to help us understand what they value most, what we should prioritize, and what tradeoffs we need to consider as we plan for the future. The process will begin with data and the development of guiding principles, followed by several months of committee work and broader community input. There will be opportunities to review potential scenarios, ask questions, and provide feedback before any recommendations are brought to the Board.

The current timeline includes:

• September 2026: Two Board workshops to review the process and plans and to establish boundary criteria and guiding principles
• October 2026: Enrollment forecasts developed for each school
• October-December 2026: Community committee reviews data and develops potential scenarios
• January 2027: Three community input nights to review options and provide feedback
• January 2027: Districtwide survey and online feedback opportunity
• February 2027: Community committee reviews feedback and develops its recommendation
• February 2027: Board considers the committee's recommendation

We have important work ahead of us this year, and we are committed to keeping our families, staff, and community informed and involved along the way. Thank you for your continued partnership and for a great start to the school year.