Polk helping with student socialization

As a lunch buddy volunteer through Big Brothers Big Sisters for the previous three school years, it has been difficult to watch what may be the demise of Polk Elementary School. During those three years I have been amazed at what the administrators, teachers and support staff have accomplished at that school, not just academically, but how they help the unique student base who attends that school to become well socialized, and, so importantly, learn about, be exposed to, and see what success looks like and how they can achieve it in their lives.

The care, love and dedication of all the staff, and that of a large volunteer contingency at Polk is not a culture to be taken lightly, nor one that others should think can be readily and effectively duplicated at another school.

If Polk closes, these students will lose out on learning what they might have otherwise become - successful, productive and contributing members of our society. The parents and their children who live in the Polk district deserve better.

Will Miers

Cedar Rapids