Iowa City school board votes for third high school

The Iowa City school board Tuesday night said it's still committed to building a third comprehensive high school.

The school board voted 7-0 to eventually build a new high school on the northwest side of the district. The board also said it would not build additions onto City High and West High.

The board has been considering two redistricting scenarios: a two-high-school plan known as 4F, and one called 4D that calls for a third high school.

Those plans also call for the redrawing of the boundaries of other schools. Board members said they still must look at the boundaries of elementary schools, junior high schools and the high schools.

The board also voted, 6-1, to reject the high school boundary changes in 4F, which the majority of the board said was too disruptive to the concept of neighborhood schools. The board said it could still incorporate elements of that plan, which would bring Lincoln Elementary and Wickham Elementary to City and Twain Elementary to West.

Sarah Swisher cast the dissenting vote, saying she thought the decision was rushed

The board plans to continue its work at a future meeting.

Tuesday night's high school vote formalizes what board members said at a work session last month: that they want to build another high school. They still aren't sure, however, when that school may go up.

Based on a well-attended public forum last week, the debate appears to have divided the community.

The main argument for a new school is that the growing district eventually will need one. The argument against has focused on district officials' admission that the district will not have the money or enrollment to support a new school in the next few years. There also is concern that another high school would drain resources from the existing schools.

But school board members said even some people in support of a two-high school plan admit a new building will eventually be needed. The three-high school scenario included a fall of 2014 opening date for a new building, based on capacity concerns at City and West.

Board members said that date is not set in stone and they'd like to set up trigger points based on enrollment and finances that guide the planning process for a new school.

“Maybe we're not that far from the majority of the community,” board member Toni Cilek said.