The Johnston Brief
The backpacks are in the stores and the first day is close. Here's the plain-English rundown every Johnston family needs for the 2026-27 school year: when school starts, how to register, where the supply lists live, how to shop Iowa's tax-free weekend, the shots your kids need, and how meals work.
School starts Monday, August 24, 2026 in the Johnston Community School District, with an early dismissal and a staggered kindergarten start. Register (or update) through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal before then. Iowa's tax-free weekend is Aug 7-8 (clothing and shoes under $100, not supplies). Grab your building's supply list from the district or your school's page, make sure immunizations are current, and set up a meal account in PayPAMS. Details and links below.
The first day of the 2026-27 school year is Monday, Aug 24, 2026, with an early dismissal, and kindergarten has a staggered start (no kindergarten on Aug 26). The district publishes the full year, including no-school days, conferences, breaks, and the end-of-year date, on its official calendar. Snow days can push the last day later, so treat late May as a moving target. Bookmark it here: Johnston school calendar →
In the two weeks before the August 24 first day, Johnston schools run their own welcome events: schedule pickup, meet the teacher or an open house, and picture day. It's the easiest way to find your child's classroom or locker, meet the teachers, drop off supplies, and get the first-day questions answered before the rush. Dates and times are set building by building, and they can shift year to year, so watch your school's page and the district calendar rather than relying on last year's dates.
Class or teacher assignments, meet-the-teacher nights, and picture days show up on each school's page and in the district's back-to-school communications close to the start of the year. If you don't see them, the building office can confirm. Start at johnstoncsd.org →
Returning Johnston students register through the district's Infinite Campus Parent Portal, while families new to town register through the district's online School Registration page or the registrar; registration gates your bus route, meal account, and class assignment. Here's the split:
In the Infinite Campus Parent Portal you can update contacts and health info, confirm enrollment, and upload required documents. If your family is new to town, start with the district's School Registration page, which will also confirm your zoned elementary. Complete it before the first day so everything is in place: Register for school (Johnston CSD) →
In Johnston, only your elementary is set by home address. Everyone continues to Summit Middle (grades 6-7), then Johnston Middle (grades 8-9), then Johnston High (grades 10-12). Run your address through the district's elementary locator, on our Johnston schools guide.
Iowa's sales tax holiday runs the first Friday and Saturday of August, so in 2026 that's Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8. On those two days, clothing and footwear priced under $100 per item are exempt from Iowa's 6 percent sales tax. Online orders count too, as long as you order during the window.
The holiday covers clothing and shoes only. Backpacks, school supplies, folders, pencils, and electronics are not included. There's no cap on how much you buy, just the $100-per-item limit. More on sales tax around Johnston →
Supply lists in Johnston live on your school's page at johnstoncsd.org, on TeacherLists, and on in-store boards at Target, Walmart, and Hy-Vee; they're set by grade and building, and often by individual teacher, so there's no single master list for the whole district. The reliable spots:
Many metro stores stock local district lists on a board near the school supplies through July and August. When in doubt, your specific school and grade page is the source of truth: johnstoncsd.org →
The Johnston Brief is a free weekly email for locals: school news, what's happening this week, new places to eat, and the stuff that makes family life here easier. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Iowa law requires a valid Certificate of Immunization (or an approved medical or religious exemption) for every student to attend. The big checkpoints:
If your child is entering kindergarten, 7th, or 12th grade, don't wait, pediatric appointments fill up fast in August. Shots are available through your pediatrician, pharmacies, and county public health. Confirm the current requirements and forms with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services or your school nurse: Iowa HHS immunizations →
The district sets breakfast and lunch prices each year and runs meal accounts through PayPAMS, where you can add money online, check balances, and set low-balance alerts; cash or check can go to your school or the district Nutrition office. If money is tight, the Free and Reduced-Price Meal application is worth filling out early, it can also waive other school fees. The full walkthrough is in our Johnston school lunch guide, and prices go up on the district's nutrition page before school starts: Johnston Nutrition Services →
Bus eligibility is based on how far you live from your assigned school, and routes are assigned after registration, so finish registering to see your stop and time. For working parents, the district's Community Education runs before- and after-school care at the elementary level, which fills up, so sign up as early as you can. Both live on johnstoncsd.org under transportation and Community Education.
New routines are easier with something fun on the calendar. Find a weekend outing in Johnston with kids, get outside on the local trails, or settle the after-school snack debate at an ice cream spot.
The first day of the 2026-27 school year in the Johnston Community School District is Monday, August 24, 2026, with an early dismissal. Kindergarten has a staggered start (no kindergarten on Aug 26). Always confirm against the district's official calendar, since weather days can shift the end of the year.
Returning Johnston students register each year through the district's Infinite Campus Parent Portal, where you can update information and upload documents. Families new to the district register through the district's online School Registration page or the registrar. Complete registration before the first day so bus, meal, and class assignments are ready.
Iowa's sales tax holiday is Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8, 2026. Clothing and footwear priced under $100 per item are exempt from Iowa's 6 percent sales tax. School supplies, backpacks, and electronics are not included, only clothing and shoes. Online orders placed during the window also qualify.
Supply lists are posted by grade and building on the Johnston Community School District website and on each school's page. Many classrooms also post their lists on TeacherLists, and area stores like Target, Walmart, and Hy-Vee stock local lists in-store in July and August. Check your specific school, since lists differ by grade and teacher.
Iowa law requires a valid Certificate of Immunization (or an approved exemption) for every student. Kindergarten entry requires the standard series (DTaP, polio, MMR, hepatitis B, and varicella). Seventh grade adds a Tdap booster and a meningococcal (MenACWY) dose, and twelfth grade requires a second meningococcal dose. Confirm the current requirements with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services or your school nurse.
The Johnston district sets breakfast and lunch prices each year and runs meal accounts through PayPAMS for online debit and credit payments; cash or check can be paid at your school or the district Nutrition office. You can also apply for free or reduced-price meals through the district. See johnstoncsd.org Nutrition Services for current prices and the application, or our Johnston school lunch guide.
In Johnston, only your elementary school is set by home address; every student attends the same two middle schools (Summit for grades 6-7, Johnston Middle for grades 8-9) and the one high school (Johnston High, grades 10-12). Use the district's elementary school locator on the Johnston Community School District Schools page to confirm your assigned elementary.
School lunch & meal accounts · Schools & zoning · Daycare & preschool · Moving to Johnston · With kids