Choosing a school? Youāve got options.
Iowa parents, you have access to more K-12 school choice options than you might realize. Navigating these options is an important task, one that can make all the difference in the world to your child. Itās also one youāre well-equipped to accomplish!
This post will breakdown the main types of schools available to you in Iowa, as well as provide some extra resources. Iowa families can choose fromĀ traditional public schools,Ā public charter schools,Ā public magnet schools,Ā private schools, online learning,Ā homeschooling, andĀ microschooling and mix-and-match learning.
One of the main factors families consider when choosing a school is transportation. In Iowa, transportation is available for students who attend their assigned public school, transfer to another public school and have their parents transport them to a designated bus stop, attend a public charter school located in their zoned school district, attend a private school, or have transportation services in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Transportation may be available for other types of schools – to learn more visit our transportation guide.
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Iowa Traditional Public Schools
First off, most children in Iowa (87.2%) attend traditional public schools. Traditional public schools are free to attend, open to all students, operated by schoolĀ districts, and funded by taxpayers. Iowa spends, on average,Ā $13,792Ā per public school student each year.
Iowa has unrestrictedĀ open enrollmentĀ for public school. Open enrollment refers to whether parents can choose to send their child to any public school in Iowa, regardless of where they live or where the school is located. Based on Iowaās recently-expanded laws, families can generally apply to any traditional public school, even one in another district,Ā at any time during the year. Of course, schools may deny a request if there is not enough classroom space. For a real-world example of the transfer process, check outĀ Davenport Community Schoolsā open enrollment details.
Open enrollment is a valuable option because traditional public schools arenāt all the same; they may differ in learning methods and one may just āfeel differentā than another to you. Keep in mind that some students participating in open enrollment, including those meeting certain income guidelines, are even provided transportationĀ to their public school of choice by their assigned district. Once a studentās open enrollment request is approved, the family doesĀ not need to re-apply each school year.
Free transportation is available to all students who attend charter schools in Iowa and live within the district where their charter school is located. Students with special needs who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and students facing homelessness are eligible to receive transportation assistance.
You can download Iowaās open enrollment handbook and application at theĀ Iowa Department of Education. Find out more about public schoolsĀ and open enrollment at āPublic Schools Without Boundaries: A 50-State Ranking.ā
Iowa Charter Schools
Depending on where you are located, you may be able to choose a charter school for your child. Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that have extra freedom to innovate with curriculum and learning methods.Ā Iowa enacted a charter school law in 2003 and there are nowĀ five charter schoolsĀ in the state, includingĀ a hybrid online school for students across Iowa. The newest charter school isĀ Horizon Science AcademyĀ in Des Moines.
Each public charter school has a charter which explains the schoolās purpose and what specific community need it serves. For example, that could be providing a technical track or offering a rigorous, literacy-based curriculum. If there are more families seeking admittance to a charter school than there are seats, a lottery system is usually used to randomly determine admittance.
The state passed aĀ charter school expansion law in 2021. Now, groups looking to start a charter school can apply directly to the state Department of Education for approval (rather than their local school board). Due to a new grant program, six new charter schools will receive funding for facilities, transportation, and classroom needs. Also, five existing charter schools will receive additional support to expand their career and technical education programs.
Iowa Magnet Schools
You can also choose magnet schools! Magnet schools are district-run public schools that allow kids to focus on a specific learning track, such as engineering or the arts. Magnet schools teach all subjects through the lenses of that specific track. Iowa has several magnet schools scattered throughout the state. In theĀ Cedar Rapids Community School District, for instance, there are five magnet schools, includingĀ Johnson STEAM Academy, which has been ranked as one of the best magnet schools in the United States.
In fact, the first magnet high school in Iowa to open was City View Community High School in 2023.
You can read more about magnet schools at theĀ Iowa Department of Education.Ā If there is a magnet school near you with a theme that interests your child, this could be a great option to consider.
Iowa Private Schools
Iowa families can also consider private schools, nonpublic schools that charge tuition. Private schools may offer a uniqueĀ curriculum, smaller class sizes, or a faith-based tradition. There are more than 250Ā private schools across the state of Iowa. The average tuition for private schools in the state isĀ $9,506Ā for elementary schools andĀ $11.180Ā for high schools.
In May of 2025 IowaĀ passed legislationĀ that allows private school students to play sports at their local public school if their private school has not offered the sport for the last two years and they do not already have a sports sharing agreement in place with a specific school. The fees for playing at your local public school as a private school student cannot be more than what a public school student is charged.
Education Funding Opportunities:
Iowa offers anĀ education savings account program,Ā that gives familiesĀ funds to use for tuition and other expensesĀ at accredited private schools. More thanĀ 18,000 students participated in this program in the 2023-2024 school year! For 2025-2026 school year, every Iowa student is eligible for the program!
Additionally, families can take aĀ tax deductionĀ of up to $500 per student for nonpublic school expenses. While the deduction is relatively small, every little bit can help.
Also, children in Iowa are eligible for scholarships through theĀ School Tuition Organization Tax Credit as long as their family income doesnāt exceed 400% of the federal poverty level ($124,800Ā for a family of four in 2024ā25).
Learn more atĀ Iowa Catholic ConferenceĀ andĀ Private School Review: Iowa.
Iowa Online Learning
Whether your child wants to accelerate learning or needs a quieter, less stressful environment in which to focus, you may be interested in trying virtual school.
Iowa offers several free, full-time online learning options for students, such asĀ Iowa Connections AcademyĀ andĀ Iowa Virtual Academy.Ā In order for funding to follow a child to online school, families need to fill out the Iowa Open Enrollment Application with their assigned district for approval.
In addition to these statewide options, several districts currently offer online programs serving all grades K-12.Ā You can find a full list of online school options at the Iowa Department of EducationOpens PDF in new tab.
High school students across the state also use online courses for credit recovery throughĀ Kirkwood Community College. Enrollment must take place through your local school.Ā Additionally,Ā Iowa Online AP AcademyĀ offers online Advanced Placement courses for middle and high school students who do not have access to these courses in their schools.
To read more about online learning in Iowa, check out the Digital Learning Collaborativeās state profile.
Iowa Homeschooling
Iowa families can also choose homeschooling, the process of parents educating students at home. As both technology and school choices have spread in Iowa, homeschooling is an increasingly popular choice. In Iowa,Ā 3.9% of all K-12 students are homeschooled.
Homeschooling Requirements:
Notice of your intent to homeschool is required by September 1 or within 14 days of starting unless you are homeschooling via private instruction (IPI or PI). It is recommended that you formally withdraw your student from public school so they are not marked truant. (Note that since there isnāt a homeschool statute in Iowa; homeschool families technically operate under the private school statute.)
The state does notĀ require standardized testing for most homeschoolers but in some cases requires parents to teach specific subjects, like math and reading. In Iowa, your homeschooled student may still be eligible to participate in classes, sports, or activities at a local public school through dual enrollment. However, families may be required to pay fees. Additionally, homeschoolers are eligible to receive some special education services from Iowa school districts.
Iowa offers a funding assistance program calledĀ HSAP (Homeschool Assistance Program). Your local public school district may offer this program to resident or open-enrolled homeschooled students; however, your district is not required to provide this funding to you. Finally, homeschool families are eligible for aĀ parental tuition tax creditĀ of up to $500 per student.
Check outĀ resources about homeschoolingĀ specific to Iowa.
Iowa Microschools and Mix-and-Match Learning
Today, some Iowa families are blending school options to come up with new ways to personalize education. MicroschoolsĀ are one of these ways. A microschool refers to students gathering together in a small group ā with adult supervision ā to learn, explore, and socialize. Microschools can take a variety of shapes and legal forms, from homeschoolers coming together at an enrichment center to a private school committed to small classrooms. What microschools share in common is a commitment to small-group learning and close-knit relationships, along with an emphasis on children as individual learners.
Examples of microschools and innovative learning options in Iowa:
- The Community Academy MicroschoolĀ aims to develop and offer year-round, community-based, extracurricular programming for community youth.
- Yirah School HouseĀ is a microschool based in Knoxville that offers a project-based learning style to students aged 7-11.
- While not as āmicroā as a microschool,Ā Iowa BIGĀ is an innovative, interdistrict public school initiative. Participating students learn by working on projects and in project teams developing initiatives they care about in their community.
Remember, microschooling is more a mentality than a specific legal distinction in most cases. Often, a family participates in a microschool while legally homeschooling, or being enrolled in a private or online school.
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