The start of the 2026-2027 school year begins on Monday, Aug. 24, for more than 14,000 students in the Iowa City Community School District.
The first day brings changes from ongoing projects to new hires.
Here is everything you need to know as locals return to class in Iowa City:
ICCSD welcomes new superintendent, principals and staff
The 2026-27 school year brings executive leadership changes and also new staff.
Iowa’s second-largest school district, home to 20 elementary schools and seven secondary schools, welcomes 36 new teachers for the academic year.
Former superintendent Matt Degner announced in May that he was stepping down, but would remain in an administrative role. He is the new executive director of secondary schools, grades 7-12.
Amy Kortemeyer was hired as the district’s interim superintendent to replace Degner in June. Kortemeyer recently served as the ICCSD deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent, and director of elementary schools.
CFO Pat Moore was hired in April. She comes from the neighboring Solon Community School District, where she served as CFO, school business official, and board treasurer.
Other notable hires include Lindsay Swartzendruber as the new Director of Special Education, leaving her post as assistant principal at Northwest Middle School.
The district also welcomes a handful of new principals.
Adam Zimmermann will lead Iowa City Liberty High School, Debbie Bennett is the new Assistant Principal at Tate High School, and Nathan Price and Jordan Young are the new Assistant Principals at Northwest Middle School.
ICCSD weighs stricter cellphone policy
The Iowa City Community School District board of directors banned cell phone use during class time in January 2025. The district is eyeing a stricter policy that stems from a state-compliant policy that preceded Gov. Kim Reynolds’s signing of HF 782. It created a template for Iowa school boards to adopt cell phone policies. School boards must have policies compliant with the legislation, though they can also impose stricter rules.
Under the current ICCSD policy, personal devices, including cell phones, headphones, and earbuds, can be confiscated from students during instructional time. At the middle and high schools, students can use cell phones during passing periods and lunch, and high school students can use devices during study hall and open periods.
Since the policy went into effect during the 2024-2025 school year, average violations have decreased from 150 per week to 104, according to board documents.
The district might adopt a stricter policy, likely mirroring that of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, where students are not allowed to use personal electronic devices, including cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and headphones, at any point during the school day.
District leaders do not anticipate any immediate changes to the cell phone policy; instead, they will review feedback for targeted adjustments rather than a sweeping overhaul.
Financial oversight remains a focus for the ICCSD board of directors
The district has been in a financial crisis that began unraveling in January, after the board retroactively approved a $10 million interfund loan. The financial woes required the district to seek emergency loans and implement $7.5 million in spending cuts for fiscal year 2027.
The district has completed its FY23 and FY24 audits, while FY25 and FY26 are still underway.
ICCSD is collaborating with Greater Iowa City Inc. on its newly reconfigured financial oversight committee to help curtail inaccurate spending and revenue tracking. The seven-member committee is tasked with increasing transparency and confidence in the district’s financial practices by helping the board with financial decisions.
School facilities plan paused, future of Coralville pool uncertain
The ICCSD board of directors unanimously paused work on a “Facilities Master Plan,” temporarily halting significant projects, including new high school athletic fieldhouses and a $14 million investment in the Coralville Recreation Center.
In 2025, the board of directors approved the district’s $104.6 million facilities masterplan, which also included significant upgrades to the district’s fine arts and facilities and auditoriums.
The projects are part of the district’s $270.7 million facility master plan 2.0 and were expected to be funded through the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) and Physical Plant Equipment Levy (PPEL) funds.
The board’s May pause allows a few projects already in progress to continue while establishing conditions for resuming work.
Most ICCSD projects are paused at their current construction stage.
The indefinite pause will remain in place until the board determines the district has achieved “financial stability.”
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, at @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: What Iowa City families should know ahead of the new school year
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen | USA TODAY Network
