Two incumbents and two newcomers are vying for three open Iowa City Community School Board seats in the Nov. 4 election.
The seven-member board oversees both the big-picture and day-to-day operations of the nearly 14,000-student district.
Incumbents Jayne Finch and current Board President Ruthina Malone are each seeking another term. Joining them in the race are first-time candidates Jennifer Horn-Frasier and Dan Stevenson.
Shawn Eyestone, who currently holds the third seat on the ballot, is not running. Eyestone was appointed in 2024 to fill a vacant spot on the board resulting from the departure of board member J.P. Claussen, who resigned to take a job with the school district.
Eyestone previously had served on the board for five years, including two as president. He resigned in 2022, with one year left on his term, to pursue a teaching career. Now, he is pursuing an MBA at the University of Iowa and won’t have time to dedicate to the board.
Here is more about the candidates in this fall’s voting.
Jayne Finch, running for second term
Finch was first elected in 2021 and affirmed July 4 that she is seeking reelection. She has eight years of service to the district, including membership on the district’s Equity Advisory Committee. Outside her work with the board, she is a physician assistant at the ear, nose and throat clinic at the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where she also is the chief health care ethics consultant.
She cited among her reasons for running concern about the growth of the Iowa school voucher program that allocates taxpayer funds to pay for private school tuition.
“I’m running out of a deep commitment to serve our community at a time when public education in Iowa is at a critical crossroads,” Finch said. “Our public schools are the backbone of our community, but the rapid expansion of school vouchers threatens their future.”
If reelected, Finch said, she wants to increase student development using “forward-thinking strategies and intentional long-term planning” with faculty, students, and families. Finch also wants to expand classroom offerings at the secondary level, from technical education to advanced placement courses, and said she will be “a strong advocate” for arts and athletics programs.
Jennifer Horn-Frasier
Horn-Frasier is the founder of Bluebird Sky, a strategic consulting firm in Iowa City, and is a former public school teacher. Horn-Frasier announced her candidacy on Aug. 1.
“I’m running for the ICCSD board because I believe deeply in the power of public education to strengthen communities, transform lives, and support a thriving democracy,” Horn-Frasier said in a statement. “Iowa public schools are under increasing pressure from state and federal policies that undermine funding and autonomy. I want to help ensure that the values we hold dear — excellence and opportunity for all — continue to shape our district.”
If elected to the board, she said, her priorities will include “retaining and supporting teachers and staff,” focusing on morale and fair compensation, maintaining and increasing enrollment and “ensuring all students receive a high-quality education in a safe, inclusive environment.”
Ruthina Malone, running for third term
Current board president Malone is seeking a third term. She was first elected in 2017 and reelected in 2021. Malone also is an administrator in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa.
“(There is) still a lot of work that’s needed to be done in the district, and oftentimes over the last almost eight years that I’ve served, what I have seen is that some of our most experienced board members leave, and sometimes it’s left to feel as though we’re starting over again,” Malone said. “Having that experience at the board table I think will allow us as a collective to remain committed to some of the things that we’ve already started work on, and to keep making progress and making ICCSD a district that folks want to be in.”
In a third term, Malone said, she would seek to ensure the completion of the Facilities Master Plan 2.3 and maintain the timeline to support fine arts and athletics programs. Malone said she also would focus on addressing achievement disparities among various student populations and advocate for special education students and their families.
Dan Stevenson
Stevenson teaches middle school in the West Liberty School District and is a union leader. He announced his candidacy July 20.
“I am running for (the) school board because I know that nothing grows and supports a strong community more than strong public schools,” he said in a news release. “Strong public schools require that all students and educators are respected, supported, and given opportunities for growth and success. I applaud the district’s efforts to continually improve and be All in for All Students.”
If elected to the board, Stevenson said, his top priorities will include minimizing testing disparities, standing up for vulnerable and marginalized students, retaining and empowering “highly qualified staff,” allocating funding equitably and providing “clear guidance and communication on challenging legal landscapes.”
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Who is running for school board in the Iowa City Community School District?
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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