Consultant: C.R. tax vote to affect school enrollment

The community will feel the impact of last week's failed local-option sales tax extension for some time.

“The failed tax measure will have an impact on how quickly flooded areas are revitalized,” said Rob Schwarz,

principal planner with RSP & Associates of

Overland Park, Kan.

Schwarz was hired by the Cedar Rapids school board to provide services for the district's enrollment study. He presented board members with the 2010-11 enrollment report last night.

The 53-page report identifies where the district is today and provides an enrollment forecast for the next five years, both of which will help district administrators better understand changing demographics.

Schwarz stressed several points during his presentation, one of which was the city's failed May 3 tax vote.

The 20-year extension of the 1 percent sales tax failed by 216 votes out of roughly 32,000 cast in the metro block of Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Robins and Fairfax. Cedar Rapids officials had hoped to use half its proceeds to build a flood protection system along the Cedar River; the rest would have gone toward street improvements and property tax relief.

Schwarz said the community will understand the full depth of that vote in the coming weeks. The school district will see a revitalization in neighborhoods affected by the flood, he stressed, but it will be slow going.

“It will likely be delayed because the city isn't able to put in flood protection,” he said.

Schwarz said the district's enrollment, which has been declining since the 2008-09 school year, will continue to decrease through 2013-14 but begin to increase by 2014-15. The majority of the enrollment increase will happen at the middle and high school levels.

The district's mobility rate also impacts enrollment at the facilities, he said.

Superintendent Dave Benson told school board members that the next step is identifying community members to serve as stakeholders on the enrollment study committee. A rough outline of the panel identifies spots for nine school district parents, along with non-parent community members and representatives of local government and the Chamber of Commerce. Principals and teachers from each school level also will serve on the committee, which will consist of 21 people, plus seven district employees identified as support personnel.

Benson called the structure “a good representation of the community.” He anticipates that the superintendent-appointed committee will meet this summer and likely give its report to the school board late in the calendar year. Public input will be sought after that report.

It's likely any board decisions will be made in February 2012, giving the district time to prepare for the 2012-13 school year, if necessary.