A school closing affects the whole community

By Linda Seger

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The Cedar Rapids school district on its website states: “Excellence for all.” The city of Cedar Rapids government states on its website: “Cedar Rapids is a vibrant urban hometown - a beacon for people and businesses invested in building a greater community for the next generations.”

A sad tale for a city known for higher educational institutions: Citizens are asked to be witness to the closing of elementary schools with successful gains despite economic and social challenges in the demographics. Any good number cruncher looking at the school district books would find a better solution to the budget than closing such schools.

Closing successful schools in core neighborhoods is in direct opposition to the Cedar Rapids long-term planning and goals for future growth. Established neighborhoods are more beneficial than urban sprawl and the increased cost of reaching to the outer limits of a city, especially for a city less than four years recovering from a disaster that hit three of the four core neighborhoods.

It is time for the city of Cedar Rapids and the school district to meet on a regular basis and communicate what is good for their mutual interests and, more important, what is best for the people of Cedar Rapids.

Small neighborhood schools are vital to cities and produce better education results. The negative personal cost of implementing school closures will far outweigh any short-term savings. Our students' academic progress is at stake.

Down the road, these closings, if approved Monday by the school board, will lend themselves to overcrowding and more money spent within the next five or six years. I heard the superintendent say they would not sell the school buildings that are closed. Does that mean it is wiser to keep them sitting empty in case this does not prove to be an insightful decision?

Transparency is vital. Why did our school district not hold open forums to explain the 37-plus acres of land purchased on the western edge of the city in July? Why did our school board not insist on open houses a year ago so the public could give input on all the possibilities for school closings, or, ways to keep schools open? How did the current budget get so “grim” without those in charge making it better known before February?

When our Northwest neighborhood board met with Superintendent David Benson in early January, he was asked if the proposed closings were due to finances. He responded that the closures were enrollment-based, not financial. Are we to conclude he was unaware of the financial situation or were we being told a “grim fairy tale”?

When did academic performance become a minor consideration? Until it was pointed out during exchanges these past few months, academics was not even on the enrollment task force study priority list.

Neighborhood school closures are followed by citizens exiting, crime increase, safety issues rising, declining property values, loss of many students to private education or open enrolled to other districts, academic setbacks for many students who had been achieving advancement, hardship on low-income families - a negative backlash to confront by real estate developers, city officials, business owners, neighborhood associations, churches and colleges in the area. It becomes a toxic economic dump that causes hopelessness and despondency.

It is never too late to do the right thing. Think that will happen?

Linda Seger is president of the Northwest Neighbors Neighborhood Association, Cedar Rapids. Comments: IowaLsiglin44@hotmail.com