Iowa City school board agrees to buy land for new high school, elementary school

IOWA CITY – After spending recent months discussing long-term building plans, the Iowa City school board Tuesday night took action related to the construction of a new high school and two elementary schools.

The school board, with a 6-0 vote, approved the purchase of 76 acres for a new high school. The land is northeast of the intersection of North Liberty Road and Dubuque Street. That is near the fast-growing town of North Liberty and also could serve northern Coralville.

The board also voted to buy 13.78 acres on American Legion Road near the intersection with Barrington Road in eastern Iowa City for a new elementary school.

In one more move, the school board set an Aug. 27 public hearing to swap vacant land the district owns on North Liberty Road for property across the street for an elementary school.

Tuesday night's actions follow the board's decision last month to buy land in southeast Iowa City for a new elementary school.

So, that is land for three elementary schools and a high school.

"It is remarkable," school board President Marla Swesey said. "We're a very fortunate district to have that growth."

Projections show the district, which had about 12,500 students last school year, could add 3,000 more students over the next decade.

The school board last month approved a $260 million facilities plan that, besides the new schools, also calls for building upgrades and additions.

The need for a new high school has been debated for several years, but the school board signaled its support for one with the facilities plan, which includes a $65.3 million high school that could hold 1,500 students.

It's still not clear when the new schools will open.

The school board has asked Superintendent Stephen Murley to develop a timeline for the projects in the facilities plan by this November. Murley has previously spoken of a fall 2018 open date for the high school, and 2015 for a couple of the elementary schools, but the issue was not discussed Tuesday night.

The district will pay $2.275 million for the high school site, with Scanlon Family Farm LC the seller. Eleven of the 76 acres will be given as a gift to the district, with a value of $385,000.

The district will buy the American Legion Road property from Steve and Julie Lacina for $620,100.

The land swap, which also is with Scanlon Family Farm, would involve land the district bought several years ago for an elementary school. Murley has said district administrators have grown wary of having a school on what is expected to be an increasingly busy road.

The new site is to the east of the district-owned parcel and no money would be exchanged in the transaction, district Chief Financial Officer Craig Hansel said. It is expected to be annexed into Coralville, he said.