A key legislative leader on education reform is “very optimistic” a conference committee working out differences between lawmakers and the governor will reach consensus today. “We’re making great progress,” House Education Committee Chairman Ron Jorgensen, R-Sioux City, said this morning. “We’re developing the conference committee report. We’ll take a look at it. They’ll take a [...]

Five juveniles were arrested following a fight at City High School in Iowa City early Monday morning. According to a press release from the Iowa City police department, police sent an officer to the high school for extra patrol as a precaution following an incident over the weekend that police anticipated might spill over into [...]

The College Community School District is adding more than students. The school system, which has seen its enrollment rise by 11 percent since the 2008-09 academic year, has created two administrative positions in part to respond to the uptick in learners. Superintendent John Speer named Jamie Coquyt, who hails from the Ballard Community School District [...]

IOWA CITY – The City Council Tuesday night OK’d a grant application that would provide money to put armed police officers in secondary schools in the Iowa City Community School District. The intent is to hire two new police officers to serve as what are known as school resource officers in the district’s three high [...]

Jason Kline will officially become Kennedy High School’s new principal on Monday, July 1. The Cedar Rapids Community School District school board approved the hire during its Monday meeting. Kline, assistant principal at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C., will earn a $132,000 salary to take over for Mary Wilcynski, who is retiring from [...]

Administrators in the Cedar Rapids Community School District had a message for school board members on Monday: it’s time to play catch-up. Executive Director of Business Services Steve Graham and Rob Kleinsmith, buildings and grounds manager, presented options for funding either a $5 million or an $8.5 million enhanced operations and maintenance plan designed to [...]

A former power company executive says several people have urged him to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Tom Harkin, but he’d rather talk about education. Mark Jacobs used to be at the helm of Reliant Energy, but now he’s the founder and sole funder of Reaching Higher Iowa, a group [...]

The Iowa City Police Department and school district are discussing the possibility of adding a “community police presence” in secondary schools. Superintendent Steve Murley said the district and police are carefully considering adding one or two officers to work in the district’s six middle and high school buildings on a full-time basis. “We are really [...]

Almost three months after Kennedy High School Principal Mary Wilcynski announced her retirement, Cedar Rapids Community School District Superintendent Dave Benson has selected her replacement. District officials released word Monday that Benson will recommend Jason Kline to fill the administrative vacancy, pending approval from the district’s school board. Kline, assistant principal at Myers Park High [...]

The Iowa City school district wants property it has reserved for a new elementary school to be annexed into Coralville. The school board is to vote Tuesday on a resolution seeking voluntary annexation of 12.19 acres off North Liberty Road between Coralville and North Liberty. The request does not signal an imminent move to build [...]