Group proposes closing schools, using buildings for library, school offices

Iowalive, a group of Cedar Rapids activists, is suggesting the Cedar Rapids school district close at least three elementary schools and use those buildings for school administrative offices and public libraries.

Dick Fredericks of Palo presented the idea to the school board earlier this month, saying at least three school buildings are “unneeded” because of the district's declining enrollment. The district has 16,755 students this year, down from 18,007 in 2000.

The idea is to save taxpayer money by consolidating elementary schools and using those buildings for other purposes, he said.

Iowalive recommends closing one centrally located school and modifying it for district administrative offices. And then closing two other schools - one on the east side of the Cedar River, one on the west - and using those as public libraries.

“School patrons living (near) the closed schools would greatly benefit by having a library or a school function in their neighborhood, rather than something else placed in the unneeded buildings,” Fredericks said.

School board members in November voted to build a $35 million administrative office building at 2933 Ellis Rd. NW, by the district's bus barn. The unanimous vote came after three open houses in which the district sought public input on proposed sites for the building.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is paying $12.5 million of the building's cost. The remainder comes from the school infrastructure local option sales tax.

Five district buildings were damaged in the June 2008 flood - the Education Service Center, the ESC Annex, the carpenter/paint shop, the main warehouse and the food service warehouse. The services have operated out of temporary facilities at Kingston Stadium and in leased space at 931 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE. Eventually, all will be housed in the new administrative center.

Before the June 2008 flood, the school board was beginning to study school enrollment and building use, but that study was delayed because of the flood. The district has indicated recently the topic is still on the table.

Bob Pasicznyuk, director of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, said he had not seen Iowalive's proposal and couldn't comment on it. He did reiterate the guiding principles the library board set in searching for a stie for the new $45 million public library.

“The major funding for the project is FEMA dollars,” Pasicznyuk said. “FEMA won't allow anything in the 100- or 500-year flood plain.”

FEMA is providing around $22 million toward the library's construction cost.

The library trustees want a site accessible to public transportation, with drive-up access and sufficient free parking. The trustees also don't want to duplicate services, meaning the new library can't be built near Marion or Hiawatha's public libraries.

“Because plans for a west-side library (at Westdale Mall) are already in place, that left a downtown option,” Pasicznyuk said.

The trustees earlier this month recommended two sites for a new library - the Emerald Knights block and The Gazette Communications block. The library board will make a final recommendation to the City Council on Feb. 4. The council hopes to make a siting decision later that month.