Cedar Rapids schools chief makes recommendations Monday night

CEDAR RAPIDS - Nearly two months have passed since members of the Cedar Rapids school district's enrollment committee had their last meeting and agreed to present five proposals to the school board.

Those proposals - two of them address school closures, while all five alter boundary lines in some way - have been the focus of community discussion for several weeks. Tonight, Superintendent Dave Benson will make his own recommendations to the school board.

In a work session with board members last week, Benson reiterated that he will consider comments and suggestions made by community members at recent public input sessions, in addition to the committee's proposals, when making his recommendations. However, he said he isn't obligated to base his choices purely on the committee's suggestions.

Elementary proposal 1 includes the closing of Harrison, Monroe and Polk elementary schools. Grant Early Childhood Center would become a K-5 facility and Wilson Middle School would serve sixth through eighth grade students. Proposal 2 is essentially the same, only it has Madison Elementary closing instead of Harrison.

The school board meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the Grant Wood AEA Conference Center, 4401 Sixth St. SW.