More openness sooner than later

The Gazette Editorial Board

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There have been a lot of rumors swirling around the Cedar Rapids Community School District's enrollment and facilities study committee process. Lots of people, including parents, school staff and others, are speculating on the possibility of school closures and what it will mean for their kids, jobs and neighborhoods.

School leaders contend no final decisions have been made, and that this fact-finding process by a panel of stakeholders is not the last word on district plans. The rumor mill, they insist, is jumping the gun.

Unfortunately, rumor mills run at full tilt when a deliberative process of this magnitude is closed to the public. The Enrollment Stakeholder Committee has met twice monthly since August, but its meetings have been closed. The district has allowed a Gazette reporter to attend and report on the proceedings, and, to its credit, has promptly posted materials and minutes from the meetings online. But for the general public, the sessions have been off limits.

Legally, Superintendent Dave Benson says, the district isn't required to open the meetings of a committee he appoints in an advisory role. He is likely right, so far as the letter of the law goes. But it's the spirit of that law - making sure Iowans have access to deliberations leading to important public policy decisions - that is being sidestepped.

Closure might seem like a handy tool to shield tough deliberations from interference or criticism. But that shield can also block valuable input from the outside.

For example, it took a letter from Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett late in the stakeholder process to prompt school officials to consider how city redevelopment efforts on the flood-affected northwest side might be hampered by closing the neighborhood's school. Harrison Elementary. As the mayor contends, Harrison's closure would be bad news for a neighborhood trying to find its footing, with the help of millions of dollars in public and private investment.

With this much at stake for the community, the apparent lack of school-city dialogue is remarkable. Corbett says a meeting between city leaders and Benson is now on the schedule this month.

Certainly, it's not too late for an open process. The stakeholder committee meets once more on Dec. 20 to make its final recommendations, and we call on the district to make that session an open meeting.

We also hope the district will provide more time for public input, both as the superintendent crafts his own recommendation and as the school board weighs its final decision. We applaud the district plans to hold board meetings in larger venues and open input sessions in February, but we'd like to see the public have a say sooner.

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