C.R. should encourage Polk students’ success

The Feb. 3 letter “Bring others to Polk instead of closing it,” is worthy of repeating. The exceptional achievement of Polk's program, evidenced by proficiency scores of 79 percent with a student body with 90 percent subsidized lunches, should be spread to the rest of the schools in the core neighborhoods before Polk is closed. The theme is worthy of open discussion by the superintendent of schools, the school board and the city's elected leaders.

The letter states that, “The documented correlation between poverty and challenges to educational success represents a huge threat to our society.” In light of this challenge, Polk's success has great value as a tool for our city's urban stabilization and renewal.

Polk's exceptional achievement is a powerful and wonderful counterforce to the many levels of problems in the core neighborhoods of our city. There is no more cost-effective urban stabilization/renewal program than the Polk success. The goals of the city and the goals of the school district should find common ground on this challenge and the spreading the value of Polk's success to all the schools serving the core neighborhoods of our city.

Clark Rieke

Cedar Rapids