Falcon,
2014 IOWA CODE/TITLE VII EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS/SUBTITLE 6 SCHOOL DISTRICTS/CHAPTER 282 SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND TUITION/282.18 Open enrollment.
b. For the school year commencing July 1, 1989, and each succeeding school year, a parent or guardian residing in a school district may enroll the parent’s or guardian’s child in a public school in another school district c. Every school district shall adopt a policy which defines the term “insufficient classroom space” for that district.
The only factor which can legally be used to determine the ‘open enrollment eligibility’ of a student is “sufficient classroom space”.
No other discriminating discernments may be used.
If the schools of the West Burlington District are overcrowded to the point where “immediate” action is required then I believe it is because the School Board has failed to review this “classroom space” criteria as compelled by law.
Before we vote to invest $6.6 million dollars over the next 2 decades I believe a thorough, and comprehensive discussion of what sufficient classroom space in WB is.
The 2014 enrollment count shows there are more non-citizens in our schools than citizens. According to an article from the Hawkeye on 11/18/14, there are currently 450 open enrolled and 430 resident students. How did this happen? Is this what the citizens of WB want?
It used to be that if you wished your student to attend WB schools, then you needed to reside in West Burlington. This was a contributing factor to property values in WB being higher than neighboring communities. Just one more perk to living in WB was our very fine school district. You want trash removed twice a week? Move to WB. You want good streets plowed quickly and efficiently? Move to WB. You want a smaller classroom for your kids to learn in? Move to WB.
This is no longer the case and I disagree with the direction in which our school board is taking us.
Daniel West
West Burlington Iowa 52655