District ombuds reports rising use, most contacts from employees and parents

The district ombuds presented the 2024–25 annual report to the Iowa City Community School District board Oct. 14, saying contacts with the ombuds office have grown and that most users are district employees and parents or guardians.

The ombuds described the office as an independent, informal resource guided by the International Ombuds Association principles of “independence, impartiality, informality, and confidentiality,” and reminded the board that exceptions to confidentiality include mandatory reporting, Title IX matters, ethics violations and imminent-harm situations.

“The first step of engaging in this model with a visitor is the most critical and thus takes the most time,” the ombuds said, describing a process that begins with listening and then moves to clarifying options and resources for the visitor.

The report said the office logged contacts and concerns across staff, parents/guardians, students and the community. Employee concerns were the largest group (77 concerns) and most frequently involved evaluative relationships, career progression and peer/colleague relationships. Parent and guardian contacts (44 concerns) most often involved constituent relationships and service/administrative issues; six of eight items logged under the “legal, regulatory, financial and compliance” subcategory were bullying and harassment matters, the ombuds said.

The ombuds gave examples: a parent who wanted to raise concerns about students’ language but feared negative impacts on their child, and a student who questioned grading practices and was connected to a principal through the ombuds office. In employee cases, the ombuds described coaching an educator through a “critical conversation” with a supervisor that led to a productive outcome.

Directors pressed for more outreach to parents and students. The ombuds said the office maintains brochures, an introductory video, a webpage and school visits; outreach relies heavily on word-of-mouth and referrals from principals and staff. The ombuds said she has asked to be included in principal newsletters and on student ID QR codes and will check whether contact information is included in student handbooks.

Board members asked procedural questions about who the ombuds can meet one-on-one with; the ombuds responded that she can meet with students who are 18 and typically discusses whether parents or guardians should be looped in. Directors also asked for clarity on concern categories and on which grade levels contacts were concentrated; the ombuds said that most school-based contacts this year were from the secondary level.

Directors praised the office’s impact, and the ombuds pointed to survey results in which many visitors said they would have had no clear next step without the ombuds and that contacting the office produced actionable next steps.

The board did not take formal action on the report; directors encouraged continued outreach and asked staff to confirm whether ombuds contact information is in student handbooks and principal communications.

Ending: The board’s next regular meeting is Oct. 28; the ombuds said she will continue outreach efforts and offered to present to school staff groups and newsletters to expand awareness.