Pheasant Ridge Parents Argue for Choice Over Demographics

Ima Hamed is an immigrant from Sudan studying social work at the University of Iowa.

He is one of several parents in the Iowa City School District who lives in or around the Pheasant Ridge neighborhood, a culturally diverse cluster where other immigrants-- hailing from as far as North Africa, Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia-- have settled as well.

For demographic balancing reasons, the Iowa City school district has supported a plan to move more than 70 students from this neighborhood from the soon to be opened Borlaug Elementary School, where they were originally slated to attend, to nearby Weber Elementary School. This is part of a large redistricting move that will occur when new Norman Borlaug Elementary is opened.

This has angered many in the Pheasant Ridge neighborhood, leading some to accuse the district of discrimination.

The Iowa City School Board could vote on the redistricting plan as soon as tonight's meeting at 6 p.m. The draft that would move Pheasant Ridge to Weber is titled Draft 4c, and has the support of both the school administration and the at the last school board meeting.

In speaking with Patch last week, Hamed said that there are as many opinions about the Borlaug Elementary School redistricting as there are different cultures in the neighborhood. Some want to go to Borlaug so they can stay with the teachers they had at Roosevelt Elementary School, which will close as Borlaug opens. Others want to go to Horn Elementary School. Still others would be fine going to Weber.

The one thing most everyone seems to agree on is that they want input in where their children are sent to school.

"This is not about Weber Elementary School, this is about people who are concerned about their children," Hamed said.

Hamed said he personally does not know which school he would prefer for his daughter, who currently attends Roosevelt Elementary School, and that if given the option he would like the research the best fit for her. He said the point is that with the district not allowing the Pheasant Ridge neighborhood to go to Borlaug, which he said was what was initially promised to them, the district should allow the parents the choice where to send their children.

He argued that this would empower parents instead of treating the neighborhood solely as a cohort defined by demographic factors.

"There's just so many reasons why that would be a good thing for them to do," Hamed said.

Hamed said that he doesn't believe the school board should make the decision on the redistricting tonight, and that more discussion should take place before that.

"They know better than me, but I do not think they are ready to make this decision tonight," Hamed said.