April 13, 2010

Dear

On Tuesday, April 6, we held a work session to provide the opportunity for

public input on the proposed redistricting scenarios for the Iowa City
Community School District. We recognize and we noted for those in
attendance that the redistricting decision is that of the Board of Education and
not the City Council. We value the mutually positive relationship we have
shared with the District, including the schools, teachers, programs, leadership,
and Board.

With that said, we also recognize that schools and communities are closely
intertwined and interdependent. We have heard a great deal of informal
discussion regarding the scenarios and we wanted to provide citizens a more
structured opportunity for input to better understand their specific concerns.

The forum was well attended, with over 80 people present, including members
of the redistricting committee and the Board of Education. Approximately
twenty people spoke, many representing school or neighborhood groups. First
and foremost, all of them thanked the Board of Education and the redistricting
committee for their time and effort in this process, and appreciated the
opportunity to provide input. The forum is available for viewing on
www.coralville.org.

Overall, the primary concerns that were addressed, and which we want to
convey to you with our concurrence, are the following:

1. Neighborhoods and our community as a whole should remain intact

from kindergarten through twelfth grade. In Coralville, the
neighborhoods that are most at risk of being transferred out of town are
the Welsh Village neighborhood and the Wickham neighborhoods.
The division of neighborhoods among elementary or junior high
schools or of a city among high schools does not contribute to the
development of a sense of community, cohesiveness, or continuity.

2. Safety is a concern that must be considered. Interstate 80 is a

dangerous highway for students who drive, especially during winter
 weather. Interstate traffic occurs at higher speeds and involves a
greater amount of truck traffic. This is a dangerous combination for
inexperienced drivers.
3. Preservation of the option for a third high school is important to the
future growth of the district and our community. As you know, limited
future growth will have a negative economic impact on both the
community and the district.

4. The disparity of free and reduced lunch across elementary schools in

Coralville is significant. We have worked closely with the staff of the
district, Family Resource Center, and elementary schools on strategies,
funding, and programs to address this issue and increase the level of
resources available to students and staff at Kirkwood Elementary and
Coralville Central Elementary. We remain committed to that as we
know you are.

We would like to thank you again for your efforts to address this issue. We
understand there are many considerations and would like you to carefully
weigh the concerns shared with us at our public forum as they affect our
students and our community.

Sincerely,

Mayor Jim L. Fausett John Lundell Tom Gill

Mitch Gross Bill Hoeft John Weihe