ACLU Leader Worried About West Des Moines Schools' Deal With Church

students will start the school year in a West Des Moines church, a temporary arrangement that has the local leader of the American Civil Liberties Union concerned.

ACLU of Iowa Executive Director Ben Stone said the arrangement is potentially slippery, and both the West Des Moines school district and will have to take caution to ensure lines aren’t crossed, the Des Moines Register reported.

“I think it’s important there be considerations for religious liberties of students and that no students be placed in a position where they’re going to be confronted with religious messages that really are not appropriate for the school setting,” Stone told the newspaper.

School district spokeswoman Elaine Watkins-Miller said issues surrounding separation of church and state have been “clearly communicated” to church officials, who she said have agreed to remove non-permanent religious materials from classrooms and hallways that will be used by the students.

The students could be at the church for as long as two months as work continues on a window replacement project at Hillside. Windows have been leaking since the building at 713 Eighth St. opened about eight years ago.

Contractors discovered black mold during the replacement project, delaying the window replacement project beyond the Aug. 21 start date for the 2012-2013 school year.

According to the school district’s website, the church was selected because of its size, because it will be safe for buses to access, has a large cafeteria, gymnasium and art and music classrooms. The church is located at 925 Jordan Creek Parkway, more than five miles away from Hillside.

The district will vote at a meeting Monday on an agreement with the church outlining the conditions of use.

The district will hold two more informational meetings for parents before school starts on Aug. 21. Those meetings are:

Tuesday, Aug. 14, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. – Walk-in registration at Phenix.
Monday, Aug. 20, 4-5:30 p.m. – Ice Cream Social at Lutheran Church of Hope.