Dennis Schuessler, head coach of the varsity boys tennis team, has been named the 2026 Class 2A tennis Coach of the Year by Bound Iowa and the Iowa High School Tennis Report. Under his leadership, the boys tennis team had its best year in school history, placing an overall 3rd place in state team tennis and finishing the season with a 14-2 record. Also for the first time in school history, Johnston reached the finals at the individual state tennis championships with Srihari Kumaresan and Aadil Patel placing as runners-up at state doubles. Coach Schuessler has coached tennis for the past 10 years, since 2017. Congratulations! 🎾💜💛

Johnston students are competing in the National History Day National Contest at the University of Maryland this week! Our national qualifiers include Elyse Baugh & Tansi Bandaru (9th), Paige Neighbors (11th), Niko Meshesha (11th), Hannah He (11th) and Lisa Lu (7th). Lu competes today and the rest of our students compete on Tuesday. The annual academic research competition for students in grades 6–12 is taking place from June 14 to 18. All 2026 projects are rooted in the annual theme: "Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” Best of luck, students! 💜💛 Read more: johnstoncsd.org/news/2026/04…

Our Johnston students have made it to Richmond, Virginia for the National Speech & Debate Tournament 2026! Enjoying the expo before their first day of competition! #nats2026

The 2026 JHS Varsity Marching Band made its debut today at the Johnston Green Days parade! 💜💛🎷🥁🪈🎶

Join us in congratulating Johnston girls track coaches Chris Siewert and Nicole Beer for being selected as Coaches of the Year by the Iowa Association of Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches (IATC). What a great honor!🏆💜🐉 Head coach Chris Siewert was selected as the Class 4A At-Large coach.👏 Assistant coach Nicole Beer was selected as the Class 4A Wheelchair coach.👏

Johnston students competing in the 2026 Presidential AI Challenge national finals had an amazing trip to Washington, D.C.! Srihari Kumaresan, Arnav Kulkarni and Satya Thavanesh Yalla each won $7,000 for being regional champions and $500 from Amazon for being the state winner. And they had an unbelievable experience. Two of them got to present their projects to first lady Melania Trump, while they all attended an awards ceremony in the East Room of the White House, and a luncheon in the Rose Garden. They went to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center with thousands of aviation and space artifacts, as well as to Capitol Hill, Amazon and the National Children's Museum. The students won the chance to compete at nationals after being named regional champions with their proposals and solutions for how Artificial Intelligence can address a community problem or challenge. They were accompanied by advisors Adrianne Herbert and Cheryl Smith. Student David Shi competed remotely.

🎾 State Tennis Co-Ed! 🎾 Representing the Dragons: Lucy Kiekhaefer/Jack Mills Zoey Studer/ Owen Huneke Let’s go! @JCSD__Athletics @jcsd_BoysTennis @JohnstonCSD

Annie Orsini has been named the Johnston's new Executive Director of Instructional Services, following Monday night’s approval by the school board. Orsini will succeed Carol Eddy as one of six members of the JCSD Cabinet. She has served as principal of Jordan Creek Elementary in West Des Moines for the past five years. Read more: johnstoncsd.org/news/2026/06…

Our JHS staff got a shout out on WHO 13 this morning for receiving its Project ADAM Heart Safe School Designation for successful implementation of a quality sudden cardiac arrest program of awareness, training and effective emergency response. Way to go, staff! ❤️ who13.com/on-air/seen-on-tv/…?

Johnston students Srihari Kumaresan, Arnav Kulkarni and Satya Thavanesh Yalla are in Washington, D.C. this week competing in the 2026 Presidential AI Challenge national finals, June 7-10! They are accompanied by advisors Adrianne Herbert and Cheryl Smith. Student David Shi is competing remotely. Both teams will compete Monday — two in track 1, and two in track 2. The students won the chance to compete at nationals after being named regional champions. Only 10 high school Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects qualified for nationals in the whole country, and two of the projects were from Johnston. Read more: johnstoncsd.org/news/2026/04…

Johnston’s free summer lunch program and our nutrition director LaRae Doll were featured on KCCI last night! Kids 18 and under can join us weekdays for free lunches and Wednesday storytime. See the menu: johnston.nutrislice.com/menu… See the times and locations: johnstoncsd.org/departments/… Read the KCCI story: kcci.com/article/iowa-summer…

Free summer lunches for kids 18 and under are available Monday through Friday until Aug. 7 except for the week of July 4. 🍎 See the menu: johnston.nutrislice.com/menu… 🍊 See times and locations : johnstoncsd.org/departments/…

Congratulations to our Johnston varsity girls soccer team for taking us all the way to the regional championship this year! The team fell to Linn-Mar 3-1 tonight but what a season! ⚽️💜💛 📸 by Endurance Photo, Dr. Nikki Roorda and Tim Vorland Photography

Our Johnston boys tennis team 🎾 has solidified their best year in school history! They beat Pleasant Valley 5-1 today and placed an overall 3rd in @IHSAA state team tennis, finishing the season with a 14-2 record. Congratulations! 💜💛🏆🥉🏆🎉

Your Johnston varsity girls soccer team continues on the road to state and will advance to the regional championship, 7 pm Thursday at Linn-Mar Stadium! ⚽️💛💜🎉 Tonight, Johnston defeated Urbandale 1-0 after double overtime and winning 4-1 in the penalty kick shootout in the Class 3A Region 7 Semifinal at DCG. 1. Lydia Lou ⚽️ 2. Nora Howe ⚽️ 3. Katelyn Mescher ⚽️ 4. Alexia Leach ⚽️ In Goal with great saves 🥅 keeper Kaitlyn Gordon 🥅 File 📸 by Kristin Sieverding, Endurance Photo and one from tonight by Michelle Howe

Our Johnston varsity boys soccer team ended their season tonight in the state quarterfinals but they didn’t go down without a fight! The 2-1 loss to Waukee Northwest featured highs and lows — both teams scoring in the last 4 minutes of regulation time, double overtime and a 4-3 loss in penalty kicks. Amazing effort, Dragons. We are so proud of you! ⚽️💜💛🐉 📸 by Kristin Sieverding of Endurance Photo, Kaden Krebs and JCSD Communications.