All pain, no gain, and that's a shame

Sometimes in the columnizing biz, you wonder whether anyone's paying attention.

At least the Cedar Rapids School Board is reading my stuff. And I know that because the board, led by President John Laverty, spent a fair chunk of their Thursday night workshop working me over.

They took issue with my “epiphany” on the ELS Center, arguing that the new administration building is publicly supported, fiscally sound and entirely necessary. As for my questioning of numbers showing more and more kids open enrolling out of the district, Laverty said he'd put Cedar Rapids' quality up against any district in Iowa. Still no explanation of the numbers, however.

There was much passion, many statistics and some very pointed point-making. My assumptions were rigorously challenged. Heck, they challenged some assumptions I didn't even make.

They were on a roll.

I can take it. Only a flesh wound. But it was disappointing that none of this passion, undying thirst for truths and assumption-challenging spirit was aimed at the actual guy who will be making a recommendation Monday on closing schools. Superintendent Dave Benson and his staff skated through the board's workshop unscathed and largely unchallenged.

Based on what I saw, it seems pretty clear, barring a surprise, that whatever Benson recommends Monday will eventually be approved when the board makes its final call on March 12.

I've never said this decision is easy, or that the board doesn't want great schools. I've simply made it clear that my biggest disappointment is that all the angst and trauma spawned by this process isn't being paired with a broader, positive push to improve school quality. It's all pain and no gain, all sacrifice and no payoff, all defense and no offense.

Benson and staff said Thursday that they'd do their very best to hold current class size ratios and sustain equity in access to programs. Benson said he believes stubborn achievement gaps will not be “adversely affected.” So, at least, they won't get worse.

Closing schools allows the district to stabilize its budget reserves. The state, after all, isn't coming through with enough funding.

All sensible and legitimate. But also all aimed squarely at simply keeping things the way they are, just with fewer neighborhood schools. On the other side of this hill? More hills.

Nothing about this saga addresses the underlying enrollment declines that are forcing this awful decision. Without solutions, you can watch for the sequel at a school near you.

Budget director Steve Graham argued that doing nothing now would mean all this trauma and emotion was for nothing. Instead, it's all for the status quo. And that's really something.