Taft students finding space to learn, socialize, with half the building closed

CEDAR RAPIDS — Band practice is being held in the front lobby and students are eating lunch in the hallway after an inspection of Taft Middle School last week found the building’s east dome was unstable.

As a precautionary measure, students and staff are not using that part of the school, at 5200 E Ave. NW — which houses the cafeteria, kitchen and performing arts classrooms — until further notice.

The food for Taft students is being prepared at Jefferson High School and West Willow Elementary School and brought to Taft.

Harding Middle School, at 4801 Golf St. NE, also is being inspected. It and Taft were both constructed in the same style in 1965.

Chris Gates, buildings and grounds manager for the Cedar Rapids Community School District, said the studies of Taft and Harding came about after a visual inspection of Taft Middle School.

“People in and around the building noticed a column in particular (at Taft) did not look like it was in good shape,” Gates said. “An engineer determined we needed to do more, and as a precaution get students out of that side of the building.”

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