The Council Bluffs Community School District board approved the 2026–27 high school program of studies as part of the consent agenda, endorsing updates staff said align course offerings, grading guidance and state requirements.

Doctor Matthews, the presenter, said the program document was revised to reflect recently updated district grading guidelines and to make graduation expectations clearer. "It is a comprehensive guide that describes our academic offerings, the graduation requirements for our students, the various pathways available to them," Matthews said in the presentation.

Matthews told the board the program also incorporates a new state requirement: "Senate File 369 requires all students to pass a multiple choice civics exam as a condition of graduation, beginning with this year's junior class." The district said it is participating in a pilot offering to give juniors a head start on meeting the requirement. When asked whether the extra exam would overload juniors already taking MAP, AP and other tests, Matthews said, "This one is required, so it's not an option for us," and that the district will monitor assessment load and consider adjustments to spring testing.

The update gives added emphasis to industry‑recognized credentials (IRCs) under the state’s House File 316, including a plan to place a seal on transcripts for students who complete state‑approved IRCs. District staff said this supports the district’s diploma plus one vision and aids student employability and postsecondary pathways.

The program adds four new course offerings: principles of management (a concurrent enrollment business course), an advanced manufacturing Project Lead The Way course, a concert orchestra section to accommodate growing orchestra enrollment, and an expanded history of music in America course that enlarges the previous rock‑and‑roll unit to additional genres. Matthews said the district is adding courses while also sunsetting others based on low enrollment trends, staffing constraints and alignment to career pathways. Examples of proposed removals include low‑enrollment specialized business and marketing classes, a C++ introduction in favor of foundational Python and Java offerings, architectural drafting at a single site, and French (noted as removed because of staffing turnover and an available online pathway).

District staff said they partner with Iowa Western Community College to ensure concurrent enrollment sequencing aligns to college requirements. The board discussed the changes and later approved the program as part of the meeting's consent agenda.

The district plans to continue public communication about the program of studies and to monitor course enrollments and assessment load as the changes take effect in the 2026–27 school year.