Iowa City school board apologizes to Clear Creek Amana

IOWA CITY - The Iowa City school board has formally apologized to its counterparts in Clear Creek Amana.

The apology comes after Iowa City school board member Tuyet Dorau was quoted in the Iowa City Press-Citizen newspaper Saturday saying she'd like to explore having the Iowa City school district, which is currently considering how to redraw its boundaries, absorb part of the Clear Creek Amana school district.

The Iowa City school board has never discussed that and doesn't plan to do so, board President Patti Fields said Monday. She added that any move in that direction would require involvement from the state, both schools districts and the local Area Education Agency.

“It certainly isn't for any one school board to decide that's a good idea,” she said.

Clear Creek Amana Superintendent Paula Vincent said she considered the idea a harmless result of a brainstorming session as the Iowa City school district explores how to redraw its boundaries.

“That's a very gracious gesture on their part,” she said of the apology. “Quite honestly, that's going beyond what we expected because we understand the process they're in.”

Still, the Iowa City school board sought to settle the situation quickly and over the weekend called a special meeting for 7:30 a.m. today. At the meeting, the board decided to craft an apology to Clear Creek Amana.

That letter apologizes for any “inconveniences and negative attention” the matter has caused the Clear Creek Amana district.

The Iowa City school district currently is in the process of redrawing its boundaries. The Press-Citizen reported that Dorau suggested looking into having the Iowa City school district assume the eastern part of Clear Creek Amana, which recently built a new high school in Tiffin.

Iowa City has talked about building a new high school in the North Liberty area, but it can't afford to do so in the near future. Dorau said instead of building a new school, students from the western and northern parts of the Iowa City school district could go to the Tiffin high school, the newspaper reported.

Vincent said Clear Creek Amana officials received a few calls from parents. She said the story headline - which online was “Dissolve CCA school district?” - may have given the idea more hype than was warranted.

“Without the headline, I'm not sure it would have risen to the level it did,” she said.

CCA apology