IC School District Explores Options to Ease Overcrowding

By Jami Brinton, Reporter

Tools

By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Jul 13, 2009 at 8:36 PM CST

Story Updated: Jul 13, 2009 at 8:36 PM CST

IOWA CITY - Months of talk about building a third high school in Johnson County is turning into action, well sort-of. The Iowa City School District is creating a timeline for when to start construction, but that won't likely be for several more years. And in the meantime, the district might have to switch students to solve the anticipated overcrowding problem at West High.

In two years, school district officials project West High will be overflowing with 2,100 students. At the same time, City High will be well below capacity. The school board knows the best way to deal with future high school enrollment growth is to build a third high school, but there might not be enough money to build it and students to fill the school for seven years.

In the meantime, the district is exploring the option of shifting dozens of students that would attend West High to City High starting in the 2010-11 school year.

Iowa City Superintendent Lane Plugge told TV9, "Right now we're looking at scenarios that would move about 35 students per class."

It would help even out the number of students attending City and West, but the idea concerns some parents who worry too many school switches could affect student learning. Terri Davis tells TV9, "I think it could be detrimental if you move students to City High from West High and then three to five years move them back or to the new high school."

Davis says she, and many other parents, understand the district can't immediately build a new school, but hopes if and when it re-draws boundary lines to shift students from one school to another, the district only changes boundaries once.

The school district is also considering keeping ninth graders who would attend West High at Northwest Junior High for one additional year. The superintendent will present several timeline and boundary change options at the school board meeting Tuesday night. The school district then plans to hold public forums to let the community weigh in on their proposals.

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