The Iowa State Board of Education approved several charter contract amendments on motions made during its meeting, allowing some schools to delay openings, change locations or alter grade‑phase plans.

The board approved Red Barn Schoolhouse’s request for a one‑year delay in its planned August 2025 opening, moving the start date to August 2026. Sharon Omek, Red Barn’s representative on Zoom, told the board the school had not reached lease terms and needed additional time to secure a permanent site and complete curriculum development. She said the startup grant includes about $150,000 for architectural services. The board voted to approve the amendment.

The board also granted Civica’s request to delay opening its Cedar Rapids campus until August 2026 after the school said a required storm shelter permit delayed occupancy of a church site on Blairs Ferry Road. Civica representatives said permits were not approved until early June and asked for the additional year to complete required facility work. For Civica’s Des Moines plan, board members accepted a motion to terminate the existing Des Moines authorization so Civica can apply for a different site in Ankeny.

Opportunity Education Network (OEN) presented two amendment requests affecting Cedar Rapids and Des Moines. For Cedar Rapids Prep, OEN sought (and the board approved) a name change to align its branding across the network and a change to the grade‑phase it will open with: the school will open with grades 6–8 (rather than a previously proposed combination such as 6 and 9) and phase up to higher grades in subsequent years. OEN said it had 329 applications for grades 6–8 in Cedar Rapids and was renovating a former Transamerica building at 4515 North River Boulevard for initial occupancy, with additional land under contract to build athletic fields and gymnasium space. For Des Moines Prep, OEN received approval to open with an adjusted phase that includes eighth and ninth grades in year 1 rather than the earlier application configuration; OEN said families had expressed strong demand for an eighth‑grade cohort to serve as a pre‑high‑school program.

Board members asked operational questions about facilities, funding and contingency plans. The department’s charter school staff confirmed they will continue to monitor progress and that schools returning for future updates is acceptable. On each motion, board members voted in the affirmative and the amendments were approved.

The board’s actions leave Red Barn and Civica Cedar Rapids with one additional year to meet facility and permitting conditions before opening, and authorize OEN to realign its grade phases and branding in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines.