The Sioux City Community School District Board of Directors is scheduled to meet at 6:00 p.m. at the Educational Service Center, 627 4th St. The agenda includes proposed 2026-2027 district and legislative priorities, several student-service and transportation agreements, facility projects, vehicle purchases, policy revisions, and two open-enrollment requests.
Key Items on the Agenda
2026-2027 Board Priorities
The Board is scheduled to consider approval of its 2026-2027 priorities. The proposed framework focuses on student achievement and continuous academic improvement, special education implementation and refinement, English learners and dual-language programming, staff recruitment and retention, and financial health.
The student-achievement priority calls for increasing the percentage of students meeting average growth in reading/language arts and math and improving Iowa School Performance Profile scores annually. Proposed strategies include implementing the district's instructional framework and continuous-improvement process, using data-driven instruction and interventions, implementing professional learning communities in grades 6-9, strengthening academic and behavioral supports, and evaluating curriculum and career and technical education opportunities.
The proposed priorities also call for regular monitoring through measures such as assessment results, graduation rates, attendance and chronic absenteeism, student grades, behavior referrals, staffing and retention measures, and financial indicators. District leadership would monitor progress, with quarterly and annual reviews planned.
Legislative Priorities
The Board is also scheduled to consider its 2026-2027 legislative priorities. The packet identifies four major areas:
- Supplemental State Aid: Support an increase of at least 5%, which the document says is needed to outpace inflation and increased supply and labor costs.
- Employee recruitment and retention: Encourage increased funding for salaries and compensation for both new and current staff.
- SAVE funds: Support restoring and protecting SAVE revenue for school infrastructure needs.
- Education Savings Accounts: Encourage legislation addressing transparency and the return of funding to public schools.
The agenda also calls for the Board to select a member to serve as the District's delegate to the Iowa Association of School Boards Delegate Assembly for the 2026-2027 school year.
Major Financial and Contract Items
City Transportation Contract — $353,136.85
Staff recommends approving a $353,136.85 contract with the City of Sioux City for transportation services during the 2026-2027 school year. City Transit would provide seven tripper bus routes; the packet says the District otherwise would need seven additional buses and staff for those routes.
Last year's contract was $336,819.24. The proposed cost per mile is $3.10, a $0.22 increase, with the packet attributing higher costs to negotiated labor expenses, payroll and benefit costs, fuel, maintenance, and bus replacement.
Northwest AEA Service Agreement — $121,372.43
The Board is scheduled to consider a $121,372.43 service-delivery agreement with Northwest Area Education Agency for 2026-2027. The agreement covers fee-for-service supports the District expects to use, including services related to interpreters, required staff training, and access to special-education compliance information.
A separate renewal agreement would allow Northwest AEA to continue providing sign-language interpreters as needed for students with significant hearing impairments. The District reimburses the AEA for interpreter costs, with special education identified as the funding source.
Title I Services — Approximately $220,000
Two proposed contracts with FACTS Education Solutions would provide third-party administration of Title I services for private-school students:
- Approximately $160,000 would support Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools' Title I allocation.
- Approximately $60,000 would support Siouxland Christian School's Title I allocation.
The packet says students receiving Title I services at those schools would receive intervention and remediation support. Both contracts are presented as renewals.
Professional Development — $16,040.32
Staff recommends a $16,040.32 purchase from Solution Tree for professional development during the 2026-2027 school year. The program would support high-school English Language Learner teachers in implementing professional learning communities through foundational training, planning, coaching, resources, and on-site support. Title III is identified as the funding source.
Preschool Rental Agreement — $44,000
The Board is scheduled to consider continuing a lease with Community Action Agency for eight classrooms at Irving Preschool. The rental rate would remain $550 per room per month under a 10-month lease, producing total annual rent of $44,000 paid by the tenant.
The space is intended for preschool services for four-year-olds.
Facilities and Transportation
East and North Middle School Boiler Replacements
The packet proposes boiler-system replacement projects at East Middle School and North Middle School. KCL Engineering's estimates include:
- East Middle: $350,000 for boiler replacement.
- East Middle water-heater alternate: $50,000.
- East Middle office heating-coil alternate: $40,000.
- North Middle: $275,000 for boiler replacement.
The executive summary recommends approval of plans, specifications, estimated costs and engineering fees totaling $769,000. The project would be funded with sales-tax revenue.
The agenda recommends setting a public hearing for 6:00 p.m. August 24, 2026, at the Educational Service Center, 627 4th Street. Plans and specifications would be available for review at the Purchasing Manager's office.
Operations and Maintenance Vans
Operations and Maintenance is asking to purchase one used 2025 Ford Transit 12-passenger van and to receive advance authorization to acquire up to two additional used 12-passenger vans when suitable vehicles become available.
The recommended first purchase from XYZ Motors is $56,560. Each additional vehicle would be capped at $60,000, and the administration proposes increasing the FY27 PPEL vehicle budget from $120,000 to $180,000 so three used 12-passenger vans can be purchased. Each of the District's three high schools is intended to receive one van for student transportation to activities.
Following any additional purchase, Operations and Maintenance would submit the price, mileage, and vehicle information to the Board for authorization at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
NAI United Agreements
The administration recommends approving four agreements with NAI United: an Appointed Agency Agreement, Agency/Policy Disclosure and Acknowledgement, Dual Agency Potential/Consent Agreement, and Buyer Agency Agreement. The packet identifies sales-tax revenue as the funding source.
Governance, Staffing, and Community Items
School Building Advisory Committee
As a consent item, the Board is scheduled to consider appointing 18 citizens to the School Building Advisory Committee. The committee was established to examine District facility conditions and provide recommendations to the Board, with participation from community members, parents, and school administration.
The packet says membership was advertised, applications were received, and interviews were conducted before the 18 proposed members were selected.
Human Resources
The Board is scheduled to consider a Human Resources report covering new positions, certified, coaching and classified hires, staff changes, salary-related changes, supplemental stipends, and resignations. The staffing report includes two special-education instructional assistant positions at Morningside Elementary, a restructured building office assistant position serving Nodland/Sunnyside Elementary, and a restructured 10-month secretary position at Clark Early Childhood Center.
Communications Department Update
The Board is expected to receive and acknowledge an update reviewing the Communications Department's 2025-2026 progress and 2026-2027 plans. The department's responsibilities include website and social-media management, media relations, crisis communications, advertising, and broader strategic communications.
Facility Rental
The administration is presenting a facility rental contract involving Westside Connection and West High School for use of the track practice field on August 8, 2026, for $280. Staff recommends approval and execution of the agreement.
Policy / Governance Items
The agenda includes a first reading of a substantial group of Board policies. Subjects include Board elections and vacancies, meeting notices, equal employment and recruitment, open enrollment, within-district transfers, student activity eligibility, student expression, school-sponsored publications and media, bullying and harassment complaints, homeless students, religion-based exemptions, guidance and counseling, budgeting, debt management, records, insurance, and public-records requests.
Among the policies listed are 200.5, 204.10, 401.3, 501.6, 501.6-A, 501.8, 503.6, AR 503.6, new Policy 503.13, 503.15, 504.4, 504.9, 602.9, 602.12, 604.1, 801, 801.3, 808.1, 809, and 1003.1. Staff recommends approval of the listed policies for first reading.
Open Enrollment Requests
Two individual open-enrollment requests are scheduled for Board action. For both Student A and Student B, staff recommends denial in accordance with Board Policy 501.6-A.
Consent Agenda and Prior Meeting Records
The consent agenda includes pending approval of minutes from the July 20 regular meeting and July 27 Board work session, along with finance reports and the proposed School Building Advisory Committee membership.
The July 27 minutes document a completed work session on Board governance and district priorities. Iowa Association of School Boards Development Director Lou Ann Gvist facilitated discussion about the respective roles of the Board and administration, and Board members and District Leadership Team members provided feedback on the priorities document that now returns on the August 10 agenda for proposed approval.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Several agenda items could shape District operations throughout 2026-2027. The Board is scheduled to consider the overarching priorities by which District progress would be monitored, legislative positions including support for at least 5% Supplemental State Aid, and contracts covering transportation, Title I services, Northwest AEA services, preschool space, and professional development.
Facilities are another major focus. The proposed $769,000 East and North Middle School boiler projects would move toward an August 24 public hearing, while the vehicle proposal would give administrators advance authority to act when qualifying used vans become available, subject to the stated per-vehicle limit and subsequent Board authorization.
