Hunter
03/26/24
The Iowa City Community School District Board is scheduled to vote tonight on the future of Hills Elementary.
District officials say low enrollment and budget constraints are being cited as reasons for closing the school, which has an estimated enrollment of 126 students for next school year. Cost per student is estimated to be the highest in the district.
District officials say closing Hills would save an estimated $1.6 million annually. Current students would be redistricted to other elementary schools.
The school is the only school in the town of about 1000 residents with a large immigrant population. The Gazette reports a recent study by US News & World Report shows Hills Elementary is one of the most diverse schools in the Iowa City Community School District. About 36 percent of students at Hills are Hispanic or Latino and more than 13 percent are Black; about 70 percent of students at Hills are economically disadvantaged.
About a dozen parents spoke out against the proposed closure at February 27th’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.
Hills Mayor Tim Kemp told the newspaper closing the school would be a blow to the community, which has grown by 35 percent since the 2010 census. He added the school is an incentive for people to live and work in Hills, and closing the elementary school could be the start of a dangerous trend leading to further school closings.