The Iowa City Community School District will hold a special meeting Tuesday to appoint a new school board member to fill vice president J.P. Claussen's vacant seat.
The board held a special meeting June 3 for candidate comments and review of the appointment process. The meeting served as a chance to evaluate the school board candidates.
The official list of candidates was announced to the public on Thursday and includes Tim Borchardt, Robert Decker, Shawn Eyestone, Timothy Fairbanks, Bob Gibson, William Kockneff, and Heather Magallanes.
Meet the candidates
Tim Borchardt
Tim Borchardt's two children attend City High School and Iowa City Southeast Junior High School. In Borchardt's application, he said, "I am well aware of the challenges of a cultural melting pot." Borchardt also listed his priorities if elected to the school board: "1. The children and their education. 2. The parents, ensuring they know what is going on. 3. The district employees."
Robert Decker
Robert Decker currently works with people who have mental disabilities and have children enrolled in the ICCSD. According to Decker's application, his greatest contributions to the school board would be: "My greatest strength is my love for my children and the education of all children to ensure their best opportunities for their future endeavors. I believe all children can achieve whatever they want given the right tools and education."
Shawn Eyestone
Shawn Eyestone served on the ICCSD School board for five years, including two as president. Eyestone resigned in 2022, with one year left on his term, to pursue a teaching career. Eyestone was first elected in 2017 to fill a vacancy on the board and was reelected in 2019. Before his board service, he was actively involved with the Districtwide Parents Organization for several years. Eyestone's application to fill the position was not posted on the ICCSD's website.
Timothy Fairbanks
Timothy Fairbanks is a social worker and licensed mental health professional in Iowa and has two children who attend ICCSD, one of whom is autistic. Fairbanks spent four years in the ICCSD as a school facilitator at Weber Elementary until June 2022. In Fairbanks' application, he stated: "From this experience, I bring a background of kids who are neurodiverse and neurotypical. Understanding, learning, and cognition from multiple perspectives … I am familiar with policies and procedures and how these types of initiatives play out in the schools and classrooms in our district."
Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson is currently the site director for the afterschool program at Alexander Elementary; previously, he was a special education teacher with the ICCSD from 2008 to 2012. In Gibson's application, he said: "I have not only worked for the school district for seven years, but I have also worked with Iowa City Parks and Rec, Reach for Your Potential, and Abbe Mental Health in Iowa City."
William Kockneff
William Kockneff has been a substitute teacher for the Iowa City Community School District for several years and has substituted in most of the schools in the district. Kockneff specializes in teaching math, music, elementary, and special education. In Kockneff's application, he stated: "…As a leader, I also know how to follow and contribute in meaningful ways. I have direct knowledge in the needs of principals, teachers, students, and parents. I have excellent communication and listening skills. I have a degree in business and am well aware of the financial needs and limitations of the ICCSD."
Heather Magallanes
Heather Magallanes has two children who are currently enrolled in the Iowa City Community School district; her oldest is a junior at West High School, and the youngest is an eighth grader at Northwest Junior High. Magallanes's application stated her greatest contributions to the school board: "Aside from the parental perspective, I have a background in educational assessment and learning technology. That experience, combined with my strong operational management skills, will allow me to probe topics intelligently and offer sound guidance on subjects ranging from curriculum and assessment through district operations."
Who is leaving the school board?
The new board member will replace J.P. Claussen, who resigned for a teaching job in the Iowa City Community School District, which conflicts with his role as a school board member.
The position would begin at the regular board meeting on June 25 and end in November 2025, when Claussen's term would have expired.
Claussen provided instruction in core academic areas from 2004 to 2014, collaborating with general education teachers at West High School. Claussen worked in the University of Iowa Health Care system from 2014 to 2022. He is currently a special education teacher in Cedar Rapids Community School District.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached atJRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
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