Nearly 100 community members attended the Iowa City Community School District School Board’s regular board meeting on Sept. 10 to share their concerns with the district’s various future elementary school models.
The local school board, which oversees elementary schools in Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty, held a special work session on Tuesday, July 23, to discuss ways to eliminate inefficiencies within each of the district’s 20 elementary schools while creating more consistent class sizes.
The vast, multi-option plan is called “Reenvisioning our elementary schools. ” The board and the district are exploring five different plans, which could include a move to 18-section schools, optimal-size schools, paired schools, academy schools, and preschool centers.
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A concerned community
Thirteen community members, mainly from Shimek Elementary, some of whom wore Shimek Shark’s T-shirts, spoke about their displeasure with plans they believe will “abandon” the neighborhood-based elementary school format.
Matthew Flemming shared how the current model has created successful outcomes for students and families while also proposing a question to the board.
“The system works for the children and families here,” Flemming said. “But is this new plan a solution to the problems, like the budget, or will it destroy the tools and communities that have flourished over decades?”
Megan Hansen, who currently has one child enrolled at Shimek and three more who are expected to enroll in the future, pointed out that the district distributed information that seemed only to target schools on the east side of Iowa City.
“With this new proposal, my husband would have to drop off our kids at the early childhood center and elementary school before heading to City High himself, or our kids would spend too long on the bus,” Hansen said. “We just transitioned sixth graders to increase enrollment at neighborhood schools but haven’t given this initiative time to develop. The real issue is financial.… The district should focus on internal solutions, like assessing boundaries, reviewing administrative staff, and negotiating teacher contracts, instead of negatively affecting families.
When you say you’re ‘all in for all kids,’ targeting specific schools contradicts that mission,” Hansen added.
Of the 13 public speakers, only one was in favor of the proposed changes. Mackenzie McCord, an ICCSD alumnus, told the board that before moving back to Iowa City, her family looked at West Liberty schools because of their bilingual programs.
“I’m a hospital interpreter, and in Texas, most districts offer K-12 bilingual education. While it may be challenging to find teachers here, it’s crucial for the hundreds of Spanish-speaking children in this district,” said McCord. “Bilingual education empowers Hispanic families, preventing children from taking on adult responsibilities for their parents. (I strongly) advocate for K-12 bilingual programs, speaking on behalf of the many Hispanic families I work with daily.”
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The five proposed plans a part of “Reenvisioning our elementary schools”
Iowa City Community School District executive director of elementary schools Eliza Proctor revisited the district’s five plans that were first presented in July.
The first option is setting up 18-section schools at the K-5 level, meaning that each grade level would use three separate sections (essentially classrooms) within the school. This plan would have instructional benefits, including more consistent class sizes, efficient staff use, and maximized building efficiency. The plan also includes dedicated special teachers, whom ICCSD identifies as educators who teach art, music, and physical education.
Public commentators were mostly against paired schools, which involved splitting the grade levels between two buildings. One building would serve kindergarten through second grade, and the other would handle third through fifth grade.
The third plan involves establishing academy schools, which ICCSD identifies as ” a public school offering special instruction and programs not available elsewhere, designed to attract a more diverse student body from throughout a school district. Students enroll through an application process based on program interest.”
The district said the goal of an elementary academy is to provide a different learning experience for students and their families while also increasing open enrollment. Specialized academies could include performing arts, world languages/language immersion, leadership, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The academies would create ideal class sizes while maximizing building capacity.
The reenvisioning plan also touched on expanded preschool centers. During Tuesday’s meeting, the district highlighted two options: placing preschools inside elementary schools and building dedicated preschool centers.
The plan suggests offering expanded care within an elementary school, with full-day or part-day options and before- and after-school care. This approach would seamlessly integrate existing programs like “Shared Vision” into the expanded structure.
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Superintendent speaks on elementary plans
Superintendent Matt Denger addressed the various community members in a statement he noted was prepared before Tuesday’s meeting.
“We’re in this situation because of years of chronic underfunding of public education,” Denger said. “… Our reality is that we have to look for ways to serve our students with fewer resources and as (effectively) as possible with the ones we have…. Some (plans) may produce savings, and others may help us use the dollars we have more effectively…
Denger said the district does not plan to close elementary schools, instead saying they hope to avoid “that type of scenario.”
“This is simply an opportunity to come together as a community and explore what makes the most sense for our district,” Denger said. “.. I truly believe we have an opportunity to find innovative solutions in the face of challenges. The time is now for us to come together and ensure that the future, I hope that future Iowa City students receive the same excellent education that our current students are receiving.”
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Building a committee
Proctor discussed the need to establish a committee to collaborate with the community to create additional elementary plans.
The committee will be comprised of school board representatives, district administrators, educators, and parents from various elementary schools. They will analyze data and gather community feedback while maintaining transparency and community involvement.
School board emphasizes the need for balanced solutions
Board member Shawn Eyestone acknowledged what he said is a difficult task to balance community needs with district-wide goals. He shared a slight disdain for the academy school option.
“We need to address inefficiencies and class size problems across the district, not just a few schools. Teachers and parents at larger schools with high-class sizes support this approach,” Eyestone said. “While any changes will have short-term impacts, our goal is long-term success for the district.”
Eyestone suggested that the district explore other options like shared grades and boundary adjustments rather than “focusing solely on school closures.”
“Turning a school into an academy would effectively close it, which is less desirable,” Eyestone said. “We must carefully consider the impacts on families and look for solutions that minimize disruptions and address specific issues.”
Other board members echoed Eyestone’s thoughts and said that potentially reconstructing schools is difficult. Lisa Williams said the district is addressing the elementary structure out of “necessity.
“There is some potential to do something great and make improvements to the district that also save money,” Williams. “It’s not that we aren’t sympathetic or don’t understand the very real disruptions that these types of changes cause. I think we all very much do understand, and if you could avoid them, we would love to, but I don’t see us in a position where we can do that.”
The board also emphasized that discussion about the elementary system is in the beginning stages and will continue throughout the current academic year.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City community shares concern with school board’s elementary plan
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