Iowa City Community School District

Iowa City Community School District is the public school district that serves the Iowa City, Iowa area. Over 14,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade attend 21 elementary schools, three middle schools, three comprehensive high schools, and one alternative school for ninth through twelfth graders. The district covers and serves the communities of Iowa City, Coralville, Hills, North Liberty, University Heights and the surrounding rural areas. The school district employs over 2,200 people. It is the fifth largest school district in the state of Iowa and the second largest employer in the Iowa City area.

Historic schools

Henry Sabin Elementary School in Iowa City, Iowa was located at 509 South Dubuque Street. The building housed an alternative high school, but was originally known as the First Ward School. The school was named for the Iowa educator Henry Sabin. The school closed as an elementary school circa 1979. It was known throughout the 1970s for its alternative teaching methods, including open classrooms and discussions about drug abuse and sexuality. Above the kindergarten level, classes were paired—first and second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth and sixth grade. Ana Mendieta, an art teacher at the school for a few years in the mid-1970s, would achieve some renown as an artist. The building was torn down in 2015.