Iowa City school leaders eye high school performing arts spaces for next to get improvements

IOWA CITY — Performing arts venues in Iowa City Community School District’s high schools might be next to get improvements following a 100-page facility study.

The assessment — conducted by OPN Architects and other consultants — found a need for improvements in outdated auditoriums and more stage space where students can rehearse and perform. It suggested improvements and provided long-term recommendations.

The assessment studied the district’s three high schools — City High, West High and Liberty High — examining existing conditions at each high school and identifying what is working, both physically and programmatically, what can be improved and how the schools compare to one another.

Feedback on the performing arts spaces was provided by school district faculty and staff during site visits in January.

The assessment was a $77,050 agreement approved by the school board in November 2024. It was funded through Secure An Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE), a capital projects fund that can be used for the construction and remodeling of buildings, among other things.

Josh Moe with OPN Architects presented findings of the assessment to the Iowa City school board Tuesday. Following the board meeting, the school board met in a work session for further discussion on the topic.

The assessment is “incredibly comprehensive and a huge assist as we embark on this,” said Lisa Williams, school board member.

A cost estimate for improving the performing arts spaces was not provided in the report.

One of the suggestions for all of the high schools is to refurbish or create little theaters or black box theaters. These theaters can create an intimate venue for smaller productions and performances, Moe said.

Spaces in each high school included in the assessment was performance, rehearsal storage and public facing spaces and dressing rooms and green rooms. The buildings also were assessed for building code compliance, ADA compliance and accessibility, condition of architectural elements, function and systems evaluation of electrical, technology, audio and visual and mechanical and plumbing.

City High

Suggested improvements at City High include:

Long-term recommendations are:

City High’s little theater is a “remarkable gem,” Moe said. More technical capacity is needed for the staff and students to do what they want to do, he said.

In the large auditorium, “the stage is just too small. It doesn’t have appropriate wing size or depth … The lights are vintage and need to be replaced,” Moe said.

The band room needs to be larger. “When you think about acoustics in a space, the volume of a space is very important, Moe said.

Liberty High

Suggested improvements at Liberty High, which is the newest high school in the district and opened in 2017, include:

Long-term recommendations are:

There are “stage limitations” with only one stage at Liberty, Moe said. “They compete for that stage a lot.”

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West High

Suggested improvements at West High include:

Long-term recommendations are

At West, Moe said the assessment found there is an “appreciation for the size of the stage” but amenities are needed, such as better rigging capacity, new lights, space to build sets and more easily move them onstage, and better seats in the auditorium.

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