And Then There Were 2 (School Scenarios)

The list is shrinking...  the Iowa City School Board narrowed the possible development/facilities scenarios down to 2 last night:

Scenario 1D:

Use Hoover Elementary as 'swing school' and then retire it; use the Theodore Roosevelt Educational Center as a 'swing school' and then retire it; restore Longfellow and Mann elementaries; rebuild Hills Elementary on site; build three new 500-student elementary schools; build a new high school; keep all comprehensive high schools between 1,400 and 1,600 students; additions and renovations at existing schools.

Scenario 4C:

Use Hoover Elementary as 'swing school' and then retire it; retire Hills and Lincoln elementaries; restore Longfellow and Mann elementaries; build three 500-student elementary schools; build new high school; keep all comprehensive high schools between 1,400 and 1,600 students; additions and renovations at existing schools.

Either way, it looks like Hoover is going to close but looking at the possibilities I think if I was a betting man, I'd put my money on Scenario 1D.  While the article I linked to above mentions the possibilities of future growth down in Hills, I don't think the school board should necessarily make a decision based on that.  However, if they do decide to shut Hills Elementary and then ten years down the road, Hills is booming like North Liberty then they're going to look silly.  Plus, they've been talking about shutting down Hills Elementary for years and the Hills parents- give them tons of credit- they're organized, vocal and they show up to fight for their school.  I'd bet on them again.

Closing Hoover does open up the land for future expansion by City High (which I'm forced to admit is probably a good thing)- Longfellow and Mann need some lovin' and I can see arguments both for and against closing Hills and Lincoln Elementaries- but I also think that the more schools we preserve, the better off we're going to be. (Especially if we're doing this because we're over capacity in so many places and need more buildings to grow the district.) I'd prefer the scenario where only one school closes as a posed to three for that reason.

Either way, it looks like we're still getting three new elementary schools and a new high school.  The interesting question is going to be where they put them all.