Iowa City schools launching community survey to ‘optimize budget’

IOWA CITY — The Iowa City school district this month is launching a survey to students, families and staff in an effort to “optimize the budget,” measure the effectiveness of current programs and initiatives, and identify key priorities.

The survey — being conducted by Hanover Research — aims to help the district align its strategic planning with community priorities, strengthen community engagement, enhance academic and extracurricular offerings and set budget priorities, according to a presentation to the Iowa City school board Tuesday.

Once the survey closes, a team at Hanover Research will analyze the data, identify themes and provide recommendations to school officials.

Focus groups will be convened to gather a better understanding of community members’ perceptions and experiences and explore unmet needs that the district can address.

Hanover Research consultants Tuesday said the survey will be available in multiple languages, and focus groups will include people from diverse backgrounds. Child care will be available for those invited to participate in the focus groups.

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