Iowa City school voters pick three to face challenges

Two newcomers and one incumbent were elected Tuesday to an Iowa City school board facing major budget and enrollment issues.

Sarah Swisher of Iowa City, Tuyet Dorau of Coralville and incumbent Mike Cooper of North Liberty garnered the most votes among six active candidates for three open seats in Tuesday's election.

A total of 4,392 ballots were cast, for a turnout of 6.07 percent, according to preliminary results from the Johnson County Auditor's Office. That is the highest turnout rate in an Iowa City school board election since 7.98 percent of eligible voters went to the polls in 1999.

The results are not official until the canvass of the votes by the county's supervisors Friday.

There's been increased interest in school board activities in recent months because of issues like the decision to close Roosevelt Elementary, enrollment concerns, the growing call for a new high school and budget issues.

Swisher, a registered nurse and a union official, led the way with 2,393 votes, or 54 percent. She campaigned hard on equity issues, including better distribution of students by socio-economic status and switching Kirkwood and Grant Wood elementary schools to year-round classes in an attempt to improve student achievement.

“People are ready to see a change in direction in the district,” she said.

Dorau, who works in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, collected 2,197 votes, or 50 percent. She said she'll focus on setting long-term priorities, making fiscally responsible and transparent decisions and working with the public.

“We're in a unique situation where we can effect change in our district and we can reframe how we're looking at the issues so that we're more positive and we're setting better examples,” she said.

Cooper, an executive at Pearson Education, won his second term with 2,066 votes, or 47 percent.

“I think the people that have voted are saying that the board needs to do a better job of communicating,” he said.

Rounding out the election results were Anne Johnson of North Liberty (1,794 votes), Jean Jordison of Iowa City (1,685) and April Armstrong of Iowa City (1,170).

Josh Kaine and Jeff Manthey were on the ballot but dropped out of the race.