COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa —

Council Bluffs Community School District is welcoming students and staff back for the first day of school. This year's theme is "Leave Your Mark," announced at a pep rally hosted by Superintendent Dr. Vickie Marillo.

Approaching her ninth year at the helm of Council Bluffs schools, Marillo was named one of the nation's 2025 top 10 superintendents by Education Insider Magazine. She credits the supportive staff behind her and the students with making it possible.

Marillo said the Diploma +1 Pathways program within the district is their "north star." Students are able to graduate with a high school diploma plus a second industry-recognized credit or degree, giving them a boost post-high school. In 2017, the district had two Diploma +1 Pathway graduates from Iowa West

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