Monday marked the beginning of the school year in many Iowa districts. In the Sioux City School District, the year begins without newly appointed superintendent Dr. Juan Cordova.
On Friday the Sioux School Board approved Cordova’s leave of absence in a closed meeting. Cordova began his Sioux City job on July 1st. A statement released after the closed meeting noted that no additional information will be provided at this time, and it remains unclear how long Cordova will be on leave.
The school district serves about 14,000 students and employs nearly 2,400 staff members across various roles, including about 100 new teachers starting this school year.
Siouxland Public Media spoke with Bren Caskey, an eighth grader at East Middle. Caskey said that she is excited about getting back into a routine, school activities, and playing volleyball.
Caskey had advice for 6th and 7th graders, which was to “meet new people because they are going through the same thing you are and to be confident in yourself.”
In other Siouxland states, classes began in Nebraska two weeks ago and in South Dakota last week.
