Plenty of questions remain for Cedar Rapids enrollment study committee

The Cedar Rapids school district's Enrollment Study Committee had its sixth meeting Tuesday – and committee members had as many questions as they did in August.

“It's a lot of discussion,” committee member Greg Reed said. “I think it's as much input as anyone would want to get.”

Committee members are using data from the district's enrollment and facilities studies to determine what direction the district needs to take to serve its 16,000-plus students.

“They are trying to work through the data and understand it,” Superintendent Dave Benson said.

To do this, committee members discuss various “supposals” presented to them by planners with RSP & Associates of Overland Park, Kan.

RSP & Associates conducted the district's enrollment study. The facility study was produced by Shive-Hattery, Inc.

“We use the word ‘supposal' for a reason,” Benson said. “They are not proposals, they are not recommendations. These are just ideas being thrown around to see how many of the criteria they fit. This is a process.”

The goal of the committee is to ensure equity and access to programs and services; alleviate overcrowding; consider future development and design; reduce operating costs; establish pure feeder schools; maintain neighborhood schools; and uniform grade configurations (AK-5; 6-8; 9-12).

All of the “supposals” can be found on the district Web site at www.cr.k12.ia.us.

Benson has said transparency during this process is a must. The district hopes to collect public input before the committee brings recommendations to the school board.

K12 Insight, a Virginia-based company, will provide the technical support for polling and survey services. Benson said the company's services will allow the public to weigh in on the “supposals” committee members have discussed.

Representatives from K12 Insight will be at the next committee meeting, to be held Nov. 8.

Benson hopes the committee will be ready to bring recommendations to the school board in January. There is no date for when board members will vote on the recommendations, or when the changes, if any, will be implemented.

It is not yet known if board members will seek additional public input after receiving the committee's recommendations.

“Board members may ask for some public input also, but that's up to them,” Benson said.

Notes from Tuesday's meeting should be available on the district Web site by Friday.