Cedar Rapids superintendent says data will drive district facilities decisions

CEDAR RAPIDS – The Cedar Rapids school district's student enrollment numbers have fluctuated since 1960.

At its highest, 25,000 students attended the district during the 1970-71 school year. The district's lowest numbers were posted in the late 1980s, early 1990s – until this year when enrollment was 16,066 students.

“We are now down to a historic low in enrollment from 1960 to the present,” Superintendent Dave Benson said.

Benson said it was the district's consistent enrollment decline that prompted school board members to request a comprehensive enrollment study with projections for the next five, 10 and 15 years. At the same time, the school board asked for a facilities study to have a better understanding of the district's school buildings, including the age and condition of buildings, number of classrooms, amenities - such as outdoor classrooms - and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility.

Board members were presented with the first enrollment study report at last night's school board meeting. The first facilities study report should be made in June. Both studies will then be combined for the district's next step – a committee of district employees, parents and community members to decide what changes, if any, need to be made.

The district doesn't have a set timetable for recommendations, but Benson said the superintendent-appointed committee will meet this summer and likely give its report to the school board late in the calendar year. Public input will be sought after that report, followed by recommendations to the board report in February 2012.

If the committee is unable to wade through the data within that time frame, Benson said the deadline could be extended.

“We are lucky that we don't have to do anything, we can continue to operate as we are,” he said.

School board vice president Mary Meisterling said the results of both studies will help the district use its tax dollars wisely and efficiently, while also providing equal opportunity learning for all students.

Both Benson and Meisterling know that both studies will stir emotions in the community. Benson has already had worried parents ask if their school is targeted to close.

“There's no school targeted,” Benson said. “We are going to have a fair process and go where the data takes us.”

For now, the data shows that the district has 16,066 students enrolled in its schools, with a capacity for almost 21,000. The numbers were by RSP & Associates of Overland Park, Kan. The company is serving as the district's enrollment study consultant.

The facilities study will be completed by Shive-Hattery Inc.

Benson stressed that the capacity numbers are somewhat misleading. The figures are based on the number of teaching stations for school building, multiplied by 25 students per station. In some instances, this formula shows some schools, like Pierce Elementary and Kennedy High School, above capacity.

“It is a gross capacity number,” Benson said. “It does not take into account the programming that is in some buildings.”

For instance, Cedar Rapids Home School Assistance Program operates out of Wright Elementary School. Three teachers occupy classrooms for the program, which the formula translates into 75 students. In reality, though, those students aren't at Wright.

“The committee will lay out program capacity against architectural capacity,” Benson said.

Several administrators will serve on the committee as a district resource. Benson said meetings will be transparent, with local media invited to attend. Meeting notes will be posted on the district Website.

Benson is seeking names of community members to serve on the committee from school board members and district staff. He's also contacting community groups for their input.

“It will be a pretty diverse group,” he said.