Meeting: 08/24/2026 - 05:30 PM Regular Meeting @ 5:30pm Board Meeting
The Davenport Community School District Board is scheduled to consider its 2026–2027 strategic plan, annual compliance designations, two construction change orders, and a consent agenda that includes a $121,000 refugee-support grant. The agenda also includes discussion of four facilities and infrastructure projects with identified or preliminary costs totaling more than $2.3 million.
Key Items on the Agenda
2026–2027 Strategic Plan
Administration recommends approval of the district's 2026–2027 strategic plan, incorporating feedback from an earlier August board discussion. The plan would also become the focus for the district's 2026–2027 Local School Improvement Advisory Committee.
The plan establishes two overarching School Board goals: academic readiness and graduation success, and student belonging and engagement. Nearer-term targets include:
- Bringing chronic absenteeism below the state average by June 2027.
- Meeting or exceeding state averages for elementary student achievement or growth on FAST and MAP assessments.
- Meeting or exceeding state averages for secondary achievement or growth on ISASP assessments in English language arts, math, and science.
- Reducing the three highest major student referral categories by 10% by June 2027.
- Bringing the district graduation rate to or above the state average by June 2029.
Annual priorities span instruction, preschool access, graduation, social-emotional learning, attendance, college and career readiness, extracurricular participation, community engagement, facilities, staffing, and fiscal planning. The plan specifically calls for planning around the district's reduction in SAVE funding.
Refugee School Impact Grant
The consent agenda includes a recommendation to approve a contract with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services for the Davenport Community School District Refugee School Impact program. The agreement provides up to $121,000 in federal funding for the period from August 15, 2026 through July 31, 2027.
The contract is intended to support eligible refugee children and youth in preschool through grade 12, including:
- After-school tutoring twice weekly at six middle and high school buildings, with transportation home.
- A six-week summer program combining classroom instruction, enrichment, mentoring, STEM activities, and field trips.
- Preschool programming for at least 25 refugee students.
- School sports physicals for refugee students who lack access to health care.
The grant includes performance and reporting requirements. Among them, the district is expected to demonstrate academic progress among tutoring and summer-program participants and submit quarterly reports to the state.
Major Financial and Facilities Items
Smart Middle School — $57,978.76 Change Order
Administration recommends approval of Change Order No. 37 for $57,978.76 with Bill Bruce Builders for the Smart Middle School Addition & Renovation Project.
The additional work would install rebar and grout needed to reinforce non-structural masonry walls. According to the packet, the original bid documents did not specifically identify the requirement for #5 bar reinforcement at four-foot centers, so the masonry contractor did not include that work in its bid. The engineer subsequently clarified the requirement.
North High School Boiler — $122,540.74 Change Order
Administration also recommends a $122,540.74 change order with Bill Bruce Builders to replace a boiler at North High School.
The existing boiler had been expected to remain as a backup but has stopped functioning. The packet says replacement is intended to ensure uninterrupted heating at the school.
Facilities Projects Up for Discussion
Four additional projects appear as discussion items rather than recommended action items.
Brady Stadium Turf Replacement — Approximately $1.3 Million
The district plans to replace Brady Stadium's existing artificial turf because it has reached the end of its useful life. The packet identifies a preliminary budget of approximately $1.3 million from SAVE funds.
Martin and Whitacre Surveyors and Engineer's, Inc. is identified as the project designer and would prepare detailed drawings and specifications.
Harrison Chiller Replacement — $562,972
The board is scheduled to discuss a $562,972 proposal from Trane U.S. Inc. to replace the chiller at Harrison. The packet says the existing chiller is at the end of its useful life, is operating at 50% capacity, and uses obsolete refrigerant.
The proposed project would be funded with SAVE funds and use OMNIA pricing.
North High Tennis Courts — Approximately $190,000
North High School's existing tennis courts are proposed for resurfacing after reaching the end of their useful life. The preliminary budget is approximately $190,000 from PPEL funds.
Martin and Whitacre Surveyors and Engineer's, Inc. would provide design services, drawings, and project specifications.
North High Phase Two Communications — Approximately $250,000
The board is also scheduled to discuss communications infrastructure for North High's second phase of improvements. The phase includes a wrestling room, dance classroom, engineering classroom, and a pole barn serving the CTE space, all of which need low-voltage systems brought to district standards.
The preliminary budget is approximately $250,000 from SAVE funds. Design Engineers is identified as the project designer.
Governance and Compliance Items
Title IX Coordinators
The district recommends designation of Jabari Woods, Director of Human Resources & Equity, and Jami Weinzierl, Executive Director of Human Resources & Equity, as Title IX coordinators for the 2026–2027 school year.
The packet explains that Title IX requires the district to identify a coordinator responsible for this area of federal compliance.
Level I and Level II Investigators
The board is also scheduled to consider the district's Level I and Level II investigator designations for 2026–2027, as required by Chapter 102 of the Iowa Administrative Code.
The proposed Level I investigators are district Human Resources & Equity personnel: Jabari Woods, Jami Weinzierl, Nicole Stroupe, and Josh Blair. Proposed Level II investigators are Silia Smiley of SAS Associates, Dan Conroy of Per Mar Security & Research, and Tim Wise and William DeVrieze of Graybeard Investigations.
Consent Agenda
The board is scheduled to consider multiple routine matters together in a single consent-agenda motion unless a board member requests that an item be removed for separate consideration. Items include:
- The HHS Refugee Grant contract.
- Open-enrollment denials.
- Minutes from the August 10, 2026 regular meeting.
- Bill listings covering August 5 through August 18.
- Construction change-order reporting.
- Personnel appointments, resignations, retirements, leaves, and related actions.
The bill listing reports 349 checks totaling $6,675,311.78 for the period covered by the packet. Personnel materials include certificated and classified appointments as well as retirements, resignations, terminations, additional contracts, and an amendment to the August 10 personnel agenda.
Public Participation
The agenda includes an Open Forum for community input on school district issues or concerns. The packet states that the board cannot take action during Open Forum on a matter that was not published on the agenda.
Virtual participants are instructed to submit an Open Forum request by 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The strategic plan is the meeting's broadest governance item, setting measurable goals for achievement, attendance, graduation, student behavior, instruction, facilities, staffing, and financial planning for 2026–2027.
Facilities spending is another major theme. Beyond the $180,519.50 in recommended Smart Middle and North High change orders, the board is scheduled to discuss roughly $2.3 million in additional tennis court, chiller, stadium turf, and communications infrastructure projects. Those discussion items could shape future project design, funding, and board action.
