Key indicators required by board policy 701.5R1 – Financial Metrics (adopted 12/12/2023), scored against the board's own target ranges and the large-Iowa-district peer set. Source: ICCSDAdvocacy benchmarking (audited ACFRs + Iowa DOM filings).
FY2024–FY2025 ICCSD ACFRs are not yet issued, so audited solvency, fund balance, and GO debt for those years are unavailable. UAB and enrollment (state filings) run through FY2025.
Want to check the math? The source-trace report recomputes every number below from its raw audited components and links each one to the primary source document (ICCSD ACFR / Iowa DOM filing).
ICCSD trend vs. board targets
Policy 701.5R1 sets explicit targets for solvency and UAB (below); two further targeted commitments — total GF balance vs. unspent authority, and the categorical-net UAB — plus the reported enrollment indicator and the statutory debt limit follow in the next sections.
| Fiscal year | Solvency ratio % | UAB ratio % | Operating margin % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board target (701.5R1) | 10–15% (≥5% floor) | 5–10% | — |
| FY2020 | 4.21 | 1.17 | -1.98 |
| FY2021 | 6.35 | 1.68 | 2.89 |
| FY2022 | 2.82 | 0.12 | -2.76 |
| FY2023 | 2.45 | -1.21 | 0.77 |
| FY2024 | — | 1.64 | — |
| FY2025 | — | 2.31 | — |
FY2025 UAB ratio — ICCSD vs. large Iowa peers
| Rank | District | UAB % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waukee CSD | 29.87% |
| 2 | Burlington CSD | 28.51% |
| 3 | Pleasant Valley CSD | 22.83% |
| 4 | Johnston CSD | 20.66% |
| 5 | Muscatine CSD | 20.49% |
| 6 | Davenport CSD | 18.59% |
| 7 | Des Moines Independent CSD | 18.14% |
| 8 | College CSD (Prairie) | 14.14% |
| 9 | Ankeny CSD | 14.01% |
| 10 | Cedar Rapids CSD | 12.96% |
| 11 | Dubuque CSD | 11.08% |
| 12 | West Des Moines CSD | 11.00% |
| 13 | Linn-Mar CSD | 10.27% |
| 14 | Waterloo CSD | 7.54% |
| 15 | Iowa City CSD | 2.31% |
Peer median 16.14% vs. ICCSD 2.31% (target 5–10%). ICCSD ranks last of 15 and was negative (-1.21%) in FY2023.
Total GF balance vs. unspent authority — policy metric #4
Policy 701.5R1 commits the District to "a total general fund balance at least equal to its unspent authority" so it can cash-flow its full legal spending limit.
| Fiscal year | Total GF balance | Unspent authority | Balance ≥ authority? |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $11.2M | $2.0M | ✅ yes |
| FY2021 | $15.9M | $3.2M | ✅ yes |
| FY2022 | $10.1M | $0.2M | ✅ yes |
| FY2023 | $10.2M | $-2.5M | ✅ (authority ≤ 0) |
Read with care. ICCSD has technically met #4 — but mostly because its unspent authority is near zero or negative (the very problem the UAB metric flags). It is easy to hold more fund balance than authority when you have almost no authority left. As the forecast shows the GF balance falling toward ~$1M (FY2026), this cushion is effectively gone.
Enrollment trend — reported indicator (no target)
Policy 701.5R1 requires reporting the enrollment trend because funding follows the student.
| Fiscal year | Certified enrollment | Year-over-year |
|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | 14,285.0 | — |
| FY2021 | 14,571.6 | +2.0% |
| FY2022 | 14,283.8 | -2.0% |
| FY2023 | 14,395.0 | +0.8% |
| FY2024 | 14,439.8 | +0.3% |
| FY2025 | 14,378.7 | -0.4% |
Enrollment has been roughly flat — about 14,379 in FY2025 vs. a 14,572 peak — sturdier than the statewide decline, but with no growth to lift per-pupil revenue.
General-obligation debt vs. the 5% statutory limit
Iowa caps a district's outstanding GO debt at 5% of the actual value of taxable property.
- GO debt outstanding: $156.8M (FY2023 ACFR)
- Actual valuation: $14.62B (FY2026, Iowa DOM) → 5% limit ≈ $731M
- Utilization: GO debt is 1.07% of actual value (~21% of the limit) — comfortably within the cap, and falling ($177M in FY2020). Debt capacity is not the District's constraint.