Iowa City school board has new president

IOWA CITY - There's a change atop the Iowa City school board.

The board voted 4-3 last night to make Patti Fields its president.

 Fields replaces Toni Cilek, who received the other three votes.

Fields voted for herself and was joined by Michael Shaw, Mike Cooper and Tuyet Dorau.

Cilek voted for herself and also was supported by Gayle Klouda and Sarah Swisher.

Board members did not explain their votes. Fields, in making her case, said she thought the board was looking for a change and said she wanted the board to be more inclusive.

Cilek had served three one-year terms as president. Fields will serve a two-year term, which was the topic of some discussion last night.  

 Starting this year, school board elections statewide are to be held in odd-numbered years, as opposed to the annual elections of the past. (Board members also now serve four-year terms, rather than three years.) The Iowa City school board's policy, however, calls for officers to be elected at an organizational meeting after each election, which is now every two years.

The board decided against considering whether to keep the president's and vice president's terms at one year. That decision was made before new members Dorau and Swisher were sworn in.

Fields, Shaw and Cooper voted against amending the meeting's agenda to consider the issue further. Cilek and Klouda voted in favor. Tim Krumm and Jan Leff - whose terms ended last night - abstained.

Swisher later said she thought the board should work as a team and was disappointed to not have had a chance to discuss the term length for officers.

Also last night, Cooper was elected vice president by a 6-0 vote, with Dorau abstaining.

Cooper and newcomers Dorau

and Swisher, winners in this month's election, were sworn in.