Shame on CR school board for ‘devious’ new facilities plan

Having been presented with just two options regarding the Madison/Harrison issue, I am surprised and appalled that our school board has snuck in an Option 3, after they had asked us to voice our support for one or the other. Those of us who supported expanding Harrison have been duped, and now we discover the plan is really to tear down the historic structure and build a new building, instead of making a larger addition to the existing beautiful main building (which, by the way, continues to be sound and has stunning features that cannot be duplicated or replaced).

I am horrified that we will lose one more piece of our Cedar Rapids heritage and instead get a new "modern" box similar to those that are popping up throughout our school district. "Modern" trends come and go (all you have to do is look at the ugly cement buildings from the 70s to get the picture) but classics such as the Harrison school outlast these new “monuments to the architect.” And to have pushed this decision through in such a devious manner is despicable. Shame on you all, school board!

Mary Jo Elam

Cedar Rapids