Lang
2/28/24
Parents from Hills spoke out Tuesday night against the planned closing of the town’s elementary school.
Documents posted to the Iowa City Community School District’s web site ahead of Tuesday night’s school board meeting cited low enrollment and budget constraints as reasons for closing Hills Elementary School, which has an estimated enrollment of 126 students for next school year. The school’s cost per student is estimated to be the highest in the district.
Closing Hills would save the district an estimated $1.6 million annually. Current students would be redistricted to other elementary schools.
About a dozen parents spoke out against the proposed closure at Tuesday’s meeting. They suggested alternatives such as employing more volunteers to help run the school, and expanding the school’s borders to include more students.
District officials have tried to close Hills Elementary in the past, but those efforts were also met with opposition from Hills parents. A vote on the latest effort is scheduled for the school board’s March 26th meeting.