Colleen Ernst did not blend in, even in 1980s Iowa City. She was imposingly tall, with brightly dyed red hair, multicolored plastic glasses and homemade earrings. I met her because my sons were in a home daycare with her son Max, named for the surrealist artist Max Ernst. She’s best known now for striking up […]
Iowa City Community School District
Posted inCommunity/News
Appeals court lets SF 496, Iowa’s infamous book ban and ‘don’t say gay’ law, go into effect
When Iowa students return to school later this month, they may notice books, including important works of literature, have disappeared from library shelves, and younger students will find certain topics can no longer be discussed in their classrooms. That’s because on Friday, a three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the preliminary […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cindy Smith, ICCSD’s liege of lunch, strives to put locally grown food on students’ trays
Have you ever wondered what really goes into making a school lunch? Feeding an area the size of the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) requires balancing students’ nutritional needs, dietary restrictions and preferences under a limited budget and federal regulations. I had the opportunity to speak to Cindy Smith, the purchasing and procurement director […]
Posted inLetters
Letter from the ICCSD Board of Directors: Whose choice really?
Submitted by J.P. Claussen on behalf of the Iowa City Community School District school board In the debate over private school vouchers, Governor Reynolds and her supporters are attempting to frame the decision to funnel millions of dollars away from Iowa’s public schools as “parental choice.” One problem with this argument is that it isn’t […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Over 15 years, Johnson County’s Healthy Kids clinic has provided thousands of uninsured children with free care, looking to fill ‘gaps’ in the healthcare system
Dr. Marguerite Oetting remembers carting all her medical supplies and vaccinations from campus to campus when the first school-based health clinic opened in the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) in 2007. Oetting, a pediatrician, is one of the founders of Healthy Kids School-Based Clinics, a free medical clinic for uninsured and underinsured kids and […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City students stage a walk out to protest Gov. Reynolds banning transgender girls from playing girls’ sports at school
More than 150 Iowa City Community School District students walked out of classes on Friday and marched to the Pentacrest to protest the newly enacted ban on transgender girls playing girls’ sports at all public and private schools, as well as at colleges and universities in Iowa. Planning for protest began among five friends at […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Appeals court limits scope of preliminary injunction against Iowa’s school mask ban
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that a preliminary injunction stopping the Reynolds administration from enforcing a ban on face masks in Iowa schools is too broad, and should only apply to the 10 school districts named in the lawsuit. The Iowa Department of Education (IDOE) will now be able to enforce […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Drive-through COVID-19 test site opens in North Liberty
Free rapid antigen testing and PCR testing are available through a new drive-through COVID-19 test site set up by the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) at Liberty High School in North Liberty. “There are no out-of-pocket costs, but those with insurance are asked to bring their insurance card,” the district said in a statement […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City Community School District cancels classes for Thursday due to extreme cold
The Iowa City Community School District announced on Wednesday evening it had canceled all classes for Thursday “due to extremely cold temperatures.” The district also canceled its grab-and-go meal service for the day. Iowa City Schools will cancel all classes for Thursday, January 6, 2022, due to extremely cold temperatures. Please note, there will be […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Racist slurs, threats and disparities: Why Iowa City high school students walked out of class Friday
Over 100 Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) students participated in a protest on Friday afternoon, walking out of school as the final period began and meeting on the Pentacrest to discuss racism within the district and what they consider the failure of schools and district administration to address it. On Nov. 8, students at […]
Posted inCommunity/News
ICCSD to present new restorative justice program, designed to close racial gaps in school disciplining
The Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) has launched a restorative justice pilot program to promote equity within the district, and on Wednesday, Brad Kelly, the program’s coordinator, will explain how it will affect staff and students during an online presentation. Kelly has worked in the school district for six years, serving as a student […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City schools will host COVID-19 vaccine clinics for students between the ages of 5 and 11
Iowa City schools will hold COVID-19 vaccination clinics for students between the ages of 5 and 11 starting next week, the Iowa City Community School District announced on Wednesday. The CDC and FDA gave final approval to the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday. Statewide, there are approximately 284,000 children in that age […]
