ICCSD Board Majority Intends to Close Hoover

Iowa City Community School District board president Chris Lynch and vice president Brian Kirschling stated their intent to close Hoover Elementary School. They were joined by newly elected board members Lori Roetlin and LaTasha DeLoach. DeLoach kept it brief and simple. She wants City High to expand on top of where Hoover is now, so Hoover must close. Roetlin gave a long speech, nearly as long as Chris Lynch’s, about why Hoover had to close so that the school district could move forward, as if closing Hoover and building new schools was an either/or proposition, which it clearly is not.

Prof. Gregory Howes and Save Hoover Treasurer Erin Kaufman stepped forward during community comment during the first hour to give their arguments as to why Hoover should stay open. Howes pointed out that the school district’s financial figures on how “expensive” it is to retain Hoover are fallacious. Kaufman pointed out that Hoover’s enrollment numbers didn’t drop until the board stated its intention to close Hoover as part of its Master Facilities Plan. At that point, many parents made other plans.

No vote was taken, but the quorum (majority) is clear. No vote means that the Master Facilities Plan, which includes a decision to close Hoover, will go forward. It would be a hell of a thing if Hoover Elementary School became a City High athletic field or a parking lot, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

What went wrong for those of us who favor neighborhood schools and want to keep Hoover open? The community didn’t elect Brian Richman, who ran for school board in the recent election and came in fifth. Richman wants to keep Hoover open. The community elected Lori Roetlin, who came in fourth, and Latasha DeLoach, who came in first, instead. Roetlin and DeLoach have voted lockstep with board president Chris Lynch and vice president Brian Kirschling with every vote or nearly every vote since they started meeting as board members this fall.