School Board member: The timing isn’t right for C.R. bond issue

I would like to express reservations that I have with these concepts for the facility master plan, and outline the main reasons why I will be unlikely to support putting this to a vote in the near future.

My first concerns are with timing. While there have been ongoing discussions over the years about putting secondary school projects to a bond vote, the economic context is very different at this time. Costs have been rising over the last year on energy, food, and housing. These are real costs paid by the people of our community — working families, senior citizens and all others. These costs, and any further economic instability, weigh heaviest on those with lower household incomes and wealth. Adding more through higher property taxes should only be done if necessary.

I also am concerned with the timing related to the COVID pandemic. While many activities have resumed, there still is uncertainty over how our community will be affected in the coming years if there are continued high levels of community transmission. It is our responsibility to operate schools safely on behalf of the entire community. There are still questions of how to best do that, and questions regarding our facilities are an important part of getting the right answers. One example would be the question of spending on athletic facilities and an aquatic center. Students need to be healthy to participate in school sanctioned sports. The Centers for Disease Control has already published research that points to higher incidence of several conditions in children after a COVID infection. The long term effects of the pandemic for children’s health are still unknown. This suggests a need to be cautious when making facility investment decisions.

I want to stress that I am supportive of making investments in our community that will help this district achieve our goal of Every Learner. Future Ready. My final concern is whether these projects are the right investments at this time. In my experience, I see needs around housing, transportation and more when I am out in the community. If we were to look deeper into the community statistics, I am sure we would see persistent levels of poverty and inequality in our district. We need to be part of the solution to these issues. To do so we need to recognize our shared responsibility with state and municipal partners and work toward making a true commitment to every member of our community. These projects may be one part of working toward that goal, but are insufficient by themselves.

Dexter Merschbrock is a member of the Cedar Rapids School Board. He made these remarks at the Aug. 22 board meeting.