District to discontinue IB specialty status at Nobland and Sunnyside over staffing and cost concerns

District staff told the Sioux City Community School District Board of Directors on June 22 that they will seek acknowledgment of discontinuing the International Baccalaureate (IB) specialty status at Nobland and Sunnyside elementary schools at the end of the fiscal year.

Assistant presenters explained staff and parent survey results and budget implications. Mr. Taylor said 31 staff completed a recent staff survey: 14 staff members indicated a desire to continue IB status while 17 did not. He noted that 15 of the 17 who preferred discontinuation were classroom teachers who do the bulk of the daily instructional work.

Staff presented two funding options: a full-funding model and a partially funded model. A full funding estimate to meet IB program requirements was cited at $277,580, which included an estimated $100,000 for an IB coordinator position, roughly $50,000 for the required half-time Spanish teacher assignment across buildings, annual platform or portfolio fees (staff cited $99,540 per school for a portfolio platform item earlier in the presentation, and an annual platform/license estimate that would total roughly $20,000 for both sites), category-1 off-site teacher training costs, substitute coverage, and a $4,000 evaluation fee every five years.

A lower-cost, partially funded approach would reduce travel-based category-1 training by using online PD and otherwise keep annual fees and coordinator costs but could still leave gaps (staff cautioned that online PD does not cover substitute pay or out-of-day costs). Mr. Taylor said failing to allocate these recurring costs in prior years led to inconsistent implementation and that the IB authorization process requires certain staffing and portfolio structures that are not currently in place at full capacity.

Board members questioned equity across elementary schools and whether the district had fully implemented promised supports before recommending discontinuation. Director Michaelson said concentrating $280,000 in one school felt inequitable; Mr. Taylor and other staff agreed the program requires additional staff time and supports. Mister Mueller criticized leadership for not earlier requesting required funding and warned that stopping the program after partial investment could reinforce negative perceptions.

After discussion, the board acknowledged the recommendation to discontinue IB specialty status at Nobland and Sunnyside effective at the end of the fiscal year and asked staff to return with further details and any transition plans for affected students and staff.

The board did not adopt a separate funding motion; the acknowledgement sets the end of specialty status while staff will follow up on implementation details, timelines and any options for partial continuation or transition supports.