Iowa City Schools

SCHOOL CHOICE? GAME ON. The best is tuition-free. The best is time-honored. The best is for everybody. 📢 Read more: bit.ly/43roDNk

High school students from across our district participated in School of the Wild this week! Originally a 6th grade experience, it was made possible for the classes of 2026 & 2027, who missed out due to COVID, thanks to student government efforts and ICCSD Foundation support.

Don't miss Theatre West's production of A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder starting tonight at 7 pm and running through Sunday, April 18th, at West High. Buy Tickets: search.seatyourself.biz/webstore/accou… April 16th @7pm April 17th @7pm April 18th @1pm April 18th @7pm

Don't forget to Dine Out at one of our partner restaurants today!

Congratulations to Hoover Elementary Teacher Kristen Mitchell on receiving the Shine Award! "Her comforting and compassionate approach allows children to be themselves, ask for help, and grow with confidence."

Today's the day for Kindergarten Round-Up! We’re excited to welcome our future Kindergartners and families! Stop by your child’s elementary school today from 5:30–6:30 PM. If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so on our website at IowaCitySchools.org/Kindergarten

Don't forget to Dine Out on Thursday!

Design into action! High school students built, tested, and pitched AI prototypes in one day, focusing on real-world impact and ethical data use. This opportunity was made possible by a National Science Foundation grant in collaboration with Digital Promise.

Students kicked off our new Digital Illustration class with guest artist Lauren Haldeman. As an Iowa alum and instructor in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Lauren has built a career as an artist, comic creator, and author while working as a web developer at the University.

Congrats to West High Kitchen Manager Melissa Ellett on being selected for the 2026 Chef Ann Foundation Fellowship! 🎉 She’s one of 23 nationwide working to advance healthier, sustainable school meals through leadership training and a $5,000 capstone project.

West High had a strong showing at the Economics Challenge state finals at DMACC! State Champions (advancing to the national semifinals): Ethan Lee, Adam Salem, Alex Forbes, and Veni Kotev State Runner-Up Team: Aahana Gupta, Shannon Chen, Shanza Sami, and Minna Abdalla

Tonight is opening night! Don't miss Liberty Lightning Theater's production of Shrek the Musical! Performances kick off tonight at 7 pm and run through Sunday, April 12, at Liberty High School. Buy Tickets at: cur8.com/16826/project/…

Congratulations to City High’s Jazz Ensemble on winning first place in the Class 4A Iowa Jazz Championships! This is their second championship in the past three years. Way to go, Little Hawks!

Our District continues to see strong progress in student outcomes, highlighted by rising graduation rates and declining dropout rates. This year, the district achieved some of its highest 4-year and 5-year graduation rates in over a decade! Read more at IowaCitySchools.org/News

Congratulations to Wickham Elementary's Karleen McDonnell on receiving the Shine Award! "Karleen supports staff by always making us feel like we are never alone in doing our jobs. Karleen makes Wickham feel like a true village where we support each other and lift each other up."

We're happy to share that our District has received the Iowa STEM Best Explore Award! Our Grow: Johnson County internship was a Farm-to-Future Earth opportunity where high school students gained hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture by working with community partners.

Kindergarten Round-Up is just one week away! Stop by your child’s elementary school on April 15 from 5:30–6:30 PM. If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so on our website at IowaCitySchools.org/Kindergarten

Happy #NationalAssistantPrincipalsWeek! 🎉 Thank you to our incredible secondary assistant principals for your leadership, support, and commitment to students, staff, and families each day.

West High made a strong return to the TSA State Competition! Competing for the first time in years, the team placed 4th overall out of 18 schools. They also brought home 7 team trophies, including 1st place finishes in Technology Bowl and Data Science & Analytics.

REMINDER: No School on Friday, April 3, 2026

Congrats to West High’s Mock Trial team on earning the Critelli Award at the State Tournament! The team also earned individual recognition, with Aahana Gupta named an All-State Attorney, along with several honorable mentions for outstanding witnesses and attorneys. Go Trojans!