[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6103177,"mediaKeyId","2801836-ed19d1dcf470a5c0262b0058eb7b0ed7","parentId",2801836,"title","Board approves agenda, consent items, operations life-cycle budget and 500-series policies","audioSeconds",2677,"startMs",815000,"endMs",3492000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2801836-ed19d1dcf470a5c0262b0058eb7b0ed7&start=815&end=3492","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2801836-ed19d1dcf470a5c0262b0058eb7b0ed7/thumbnail_815000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6103177/Iowa/Board-approves-agenda-consent-items-operations-life-cycle-budget-and-500-series-policies","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103177-102148668e7f971fe03de07ff7abf797/orig.mp4?Expires=1770485385&Signature=jT15Db8N4n8zVffW~R-ToElJNQPRdayDWfiRYbq6KfbVddBaT2dEpVKhuRGUmFe4Kbs0gVmE9yiV-C7CHqYEnQDSEW7V21hD~6Kh1CpmPtvdYHZ3rNZwPshWy9BPsTJrzxogQ~8NXKvNrtLzO4LO6SckE01mpVY29cLwe3a~Dmi6yLLsdoZTdUvgAkoRUrtgoLZlHcaMzD4XnzzUDuCX0niHor7V85Sqa8eGDY2m5iacmCR1Xi5MA-5x2CPaSIbCoWPszmTIjVYaNgsGU2Af1HBetOIWt6-nHO-rLfD1lTy4VlYISa8NseBrJlMdftm6nmA6fdysvSR4YKS35oWyWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Iowa City School Board","date","2025-03-28T00:00:08.847Z","article","The Iowa City Community School District Board of Directors took formal action on several routine items during its March 11 meeting. All recorded motions carried with all directors voting in favor.

Votes at a glance

- Approve meeting agenda: Motion recorded and carried; all directors voted in favor.

- Approve consent agenda: Motion recorded and carried; all directors voted in favor.

- Approve operations life-cycle budget: Motion recorded and carried; all directors voted in favor. The operations life-cycle budget as presented includes a $1,000,000 line for potential land purchase funded from PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy) and SAVE (referenced as a SAVE funding source). The operations budget also contains recurring instrument-replacement funding; staff said replacement decisions are governed by a combination of life-cycle scheduling and participation levels and that the district consults the district music coordinator and plant staff when prioritizing instrument purchases.

- Approve 500-series policies: Motion recorded and carried; all directors voted in favor. Staff described the 500-series changes as largely clarifying edits and minor adjustments. Among the items referenced: a guardian form that allows parents to prohibit a student from checking out specific library materials (new form), clarified graduation-unit language tied to state changes, and an explicit line documenting that district device internet usage is logged (Securly reports) to increase transparency.

Vote details and procedure

Board members cast votes via the district’s online voting system; the clerk announced each result as \"the motion carries with all directors voting in favor.\" The meeting record shows unanimous outcomes; the votes were not recorded individually by name in the minutes beyond the clerk’s announcement.

Notes

- On the operations life-cycle budget, a board member asked whether the land-purchase line was a placeholder; staff said the $1,000,000 item is part of the district’s FMP 2 capital plan and would draw from PPEL as needed rather than being an immediate, specified purchase.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Directors Meeting - 3/25/25","oneSentenceSummary","At its March 11 meeting the Iowa City Community School District Board approved the meeting agenda and consent agenda, adopted an operations life-cycle budget that includes a $1 million PPEL line for potential land purchase and increased instrument replacement funding, and approved revisions to the 500-series policies.","taxTitle","Iowa City Comm School District, School Districts, Iowa","taxId",15385,"location","Iowa","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6103180,"Superintendent outlines state bills affecting funding, meals and safety",313,3543000,3856000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2801836-ed19d1dcf470a5c0262b0058eb7b0ed7&start=3543&end=3856","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2801836-ed19d1dcf470a5c0262b0058eb7b0ed7/thumbnail_3543000.jpg","/articles/6103180/Iowa/Superintendent-outlines-state-bills-affecting-funding-meals-and-safety","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103180-258985987374a5ae066cadeeaa17e680/orig.mp4?Expires=1770485385&Signature=K7CZ3EBTshNTb5YoD2QGKzet-417pGOQtj5sohMPUZMAJ4mXp~73dcdyWuPQ7knBYLOtsA-0PA-gkyX6AmA5tAAvUi2ARRm97Y~cEaI4xD~ouHMZL0IyhQhqy8sg1immOAExI6zMcsC9~PYrWdtZkRDRuSr-1gsC5VFtW3hPRSDd8iyWX3GG8lQZDA40mH99-b49IUCYgYEA1-ibkptcz0LK8A086~3kPx4c-5YWdkrS03p8Kt2qPiYp3Sl-dUYkxd~Ypq-LjB3XJYiw55xslgetsOP-NYsU~mLevTOEl4EAdkyLQx3u4A5DEQxtk3K-oukjQkdKhRJOn9WfSHqeqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Matt Degner told the board March 11 that district staff are monitoring a set of state-level proposals that could affect funding, school meals and safety.

Degner summarized two competing school-funding proposals under consideration (described by staff as 2% and 2.25% plans) and said the Senate moved a proposal that tightens the definition of student grooming and that the legislature is considering the creation of school-safety assessment teams. Degner said the district views the safety-assessment proposal as complimentary to local processes the district already uses.

He said the governor’s math initiative appears likely to pass and that the district expects to see statewide math-planning requirements similar to existing literacy plans. Degner also flagged a bill identified as House File 851, which would change state requirements for school lunches; he said the proposal’s interaction with federal nutrition requirements is unclear and could put federal funds at risk if state changes require a federal waiver that is not granted.

Degner described proposals on cell-phone policy and parent exemptions; he said the district is watching language on parent exemptions closely. He also noted bills that would require public districts to allow private-school students to participate in extracurricular activities the private school does not offer.

On school-security funding, Degner said there is discussion on allowing the management fund to be used for security infrastructure and salaries for security personnel; the district supports expanding allowable uses to help pay for upgrades such as weapons-detection and door-monitoring systems but said the fund is limited and the policy change would be complex.

Degner reminded board members of a legislative forum scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m. in the boardroom and invited members to bring questions and priorities to that session.","Superintendent Matt Degner briefed the board on multiple state legislative items the district is monitoring, including competing school funding proposals, a bill on school meals (House File 851), a math initiative, and proposals affecting school safety funding and nonpublic extracurricular eligibility.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6103184,"District presents RAM adjustments and staffing outlook to address class-size concerns",1817,1253000,3070000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2801836-ed19d1dcf470a5c0262b0058eb7b0ed7&start=1253&end=3070","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2801836-ed19d1dcf470a5c0262b0058eb7b0ed7/thumbnail_1253000.jpg","/articles/6103184/Iowa/District-presents-RAM-adjustments-and-staffing-outlook-to-address-class-size-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103184-bf4f95fe394ab1714865077f330df4ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1770485385&Signature=YBOvI5JNmiIGNKMNU38Z2VNvhHm7jOUK2~bANvb8UqlaZfGktIlSEo8uP6Zo1cbc91X3DBj1mfQaqZaMePmJxGaejVGRIwSQ-oDatJZ73LxSWaveXioFhOQSmxCSlsqhaTx-S4fjgszkg7OZqaL77JkJZz05Mxs81~ob4YvP~CGUr7pn0EW6UhxDTSu9J0B2aokcdWISntd6cwhIzDhhFIbafL4x0f-u3pwZQlsmboU8NwkCk4wQPp2W4yUvK9LPskY7cQ01nY76vuFwWPQiiPXUFEQygLI3EF0P~gc2zwmWOK1Ck76WZnxpfqD7I2wiEf0Cmb1RJ1pFcDjT8SUSWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District human-resources and administrative staff briefed the board March 11 on proposed adjustments to the district’s weighted resource allocation model, or RAM, and the effect those adjustments would have on elementary, middle and high-school staffing for 2025–26.

Chief Human Resources Officer Nick Proud described RAM as a student-based weighting system that gives each student a score for needs such as special education, English-language-learner status, free and reduced-price lunch and McKinney-Vento eligibility; the model combines average weight per student and total weighted counts to guide staffing and class-size targets at each building.

Proud outlined proposed, modest reductions to some elementary aspirational class-size targets at RAM 1 and RAM 2 levels — for example, moving some first-grade aspirational targets to 25 and adjusting other RAM 2 targets from 28 to 26 where feasible. He said those adjustments will require adding some elementary full-time-equivalent positions back into schools after previous budget-era reductions.

For middle schools, officials proposed a half-time teacher (0.5 FTE) at each building focused on math support; principals worked with district staff to determine how to allocate that time. At the high-school level, staff described smaller, targeted adjustments: adding teachers where course offerings lagged (one example cited was adding a teacher at Liberty High School to expand course options) and increasing ELL supports and sheltered-content sections where needed.

Officials said the online learning program’s growth may require additional language-arts and math staffing; the program uses broad single-teacher course loads across multiple grades and has been expanding enrollment in upper elementary through secondary grades.

Board members asked how RAM accounts for building size and staffing stability. Staff said the model factors both average weight per student and total weighted counts; it is dynamically linked to student data in Infinite Campus so changes in enrollment immediately affect allocations. They also said the district has relatively stable staffing in higher-need buildings and that principals and central office staff work together to manage course offerings and section sizes as student requests and enrollments change.

Staff recommended continuing to monitor proficiency correlations and to provide more visualizations that explain how RAM allocations and schedule-level decisions change actual section sizes for different student groups. Board members asked for future materials that show concrete examples and outcomes.","District staff reviewed a weighted resource allocation model (RAM) update and proposed modest shifts to elementary class-size targets, added FTE for elementary and middle-school math support, and noted continued monitoring at the high-school level.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6103189,"Twain Elementary outlines new departmentalized model for English-language learners",450,147000,597000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2801836-ed19d1dcf470a5c0262b0058eb7b0ed7&start=147&end=597","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2801836-ed19d1dcf470a5c0262b0058eb7b0ed7/thumbnail_147000.jpg","/articles/6103189/Iowa/Twain-Elementary-outlines-new-departmentalized-model-for-English-language-learners","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103189-74a90ee6fac4f43c00631c41eb927f7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770485385&Signature=b2E9g6plHsifPUrmuUxjM1Jp7Nzi7UlwBHFoTn5NPLdBxvYDfJC~MDyryg~nOzs186gKxxMeojlJfT-gqKuhwD4N96hu8lPm11jntSS9zrJphUwHSbzKXGnfc6h17ZQkThlN598MqCQVTiGF~x0HKxja9Pwv~TooSd3vSPkDUZxoU~c5b-83beVJcCJmULSpfd7u9l1w-w-Hugh-DCMvLR8avY5fDkuv561PUhEIY4M1dzvuvCqTOmwKr3yj5KOeqoe60BoGfHidfpdU5K46t6peLK2anxauiaQQ2EgHnIu2gQOcHoOVFgBudQuJbWsd0yb~FCqqdq3iXf579pSUww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Twain Elementary teachers and school leaders told the Iowa City Community School District Board of Directors on March 11 that the school has moved to a departmentalized model for English-language-learner instruction that gives each of three specialists responsibility for one language domain.

The change means students now receive 45 minutes of ELL instruction in a block of three 15-minute domain-specific sessions instead of 30 minutes spread across four domains, the team said. Teachers said the rotation allows deeper, more focused practice: one teacher concentrates on speaking and listening, another on writing and another on reading, and students rotate between them each day.

The ELL team said the shift was not a response to a testing shortfall but an effort to build on strengths: staff reported “exceptional growth” in reading and writing domains and described the new schedule as intentionally designed to increase student engagement and teacher collaboration. The team also said specialists now have a 15-minute push-in or pull-out window after rotations to support newcomers, monitor students who have exited the ELL program and provide targeted small-group work.

School leaders said the new approach is aligned with research-based practices they cited in the presentation, including clear objectives, short, engaging activities, frequent checks for understanding, and deliberate preview/review routines. The team explained how vocabulary could be introduced in a reading session, applied in writing and then practiced in speaking within a single day.

Board members praised the classroom management, transitions and student engagement the board observed during a recent visit. Several directors noted the smaller adult-to-student ratios observed in classrooms and asked about the number of languages represented; staff estimated roughly five to seven languages among ELL students at Twain.

Twain staff said they will monitor classroom and general-education outcomes through local measures and the district’s ELPA 21 assessment, with scores due back in May. They described the change as a grassroots, teacher-led initiative that the principal and building leadership supported.

The presentation did not include new districtwide policy changes or immediate staffing reallocations; staff said the model is implemented at Twain this year and that the district will measure results and consider implications for other schools over time.","Twain Elementary staff told the school board they moved to a three-teacher, domain-focused model for ELL instruction that increases total pull-out time and staggers 15-minute rotations to concentrate on listening, speaking, reading and writing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves agenda, consent items, operations life-cycle budget and 500-series policies

Superintendent outlines state bills affecting funding, meals and safety

District presents RAM adjustments and staffing outlook to address class-size concerns

Twain Elementary outlines new departmentalized model for English-language learners