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Building our communities

Building our communities

New to the District? Everything you need to know to begin your education with Johnston Schools.

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Johnston Students Questions about your iPad, class schedule, or anything else? We have the answers.

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Upcoming Events

Feb 19

Parent Meeting at JMS – 7th to 8th Grade Transition

February 19, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Feb 20

HZE- NO 1 Hr Early Out (School Hrs 8:40am-3:35pm)

February 20 (all day) – Horizon Elementary School, 5905 NW 100th St, Johnston, IA 50131, USA

Feb 21

HZE-Lifetouch Spring Pictures

February 21 (all day)

Feb 21

HZE-2nd Grade & 4th Grade Field Trip – The Golden Dragon

February 21, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Latest News

All News

Six Dragons to Wrestle at the 2019 State Meet

Six Dragons to Wrestle at the 2019 State Meet Read More

Preschool Registration Opens Wednesday, February 6

Preschool Registration Opens Wednesday, February 6 Read More

Digital Backpack

Stay up-to-date on school and non-school-related community events for students and families.

View the Digital Backpack

The Last Semester at Johnston

By the Numbers

6

National Merit Scholar Finalists

$11,146

Dollar amount spent on each pupil (FY18)

126

Number of boats in the Summit Dragon Boat Races

1:1

iPads for each student in grades 4-12

64

Languages spoken in the district

22,500

Number of school lunches served in a week across the district

Johnston Spotlight

“Communicating in more than one language will serve our students well in their college and career pursuits, as well as in our global economy."

– Ryan Wise, Iowa Department of Education Director

“The Seal of Biliteracy is about formally acknowledging this important 21st century skill and giving students whose first language is not English an opportunity to validate their native languages.”

– Ryan Wise

Earn the Seal of Biliteracy

Johnston students in grades 10-12 now have the opportunity to earn the State of Iowa Seal of Biliteracy, which recognizes proficiency in English and at least one other language through approved assessments. All languages will be recognized, including Spanish, Bosnian, Chinese, and American Sign Language. About 140 languages are spoken in Iowa and nearly 65 within the Johnston Community School District.

Students should contact their school counselor, world language teacher, ESL teacher, or AP English teacher to learn more about the testing requirements and available testing dates. Students and/or their families are responsible for all fees related to testing, if applicable. The Johnston Community School District is currently working with the Urbandale and West Des Moines districts to secure a metro-area location for testing.

To earn the seal, students must show demonstrated proficiency in a given language. Read more about the biliteracy guidance, including proficiency levels and accepted assessments here.

Once a student has passed the assessment and is approved, they will earn the Seal of Biliteracy, which goes on their diploma and high school transcript. Earning the seal does not count toward earned credit.