Emotion, facts and big questions unanswered

At the last Cedar Rapids School Board meeting, defenders of Polk Elementary, many of them moms, spoke passionately of the school's positive and powerful impact on their kids' lives.

Some choked back tears. Some just let them run down their cheeks. It was remarkable, moving stuff, even for a cynical hack like myself.

Then, when public comment had finished, the board heard a dispassionate presentation on next year's budget. Pretty grim. For one thing, the district is suffering a net open enrollment loss this year of 541 students, who took $3.18 million in state aid with them.

The message: closing schools, including beloved Polk Elementary, may be needed. Sorry, but facts must trump emotion. Moms are no match for money. “It's simply a matter of enrollment,” said district budget chief Steve Graham.

But a more detailed open enrollment report to the board received only a passing mention. It tells us much more. (Posted below)

The district's budgetary loss of 541 is actually a net loss of 710 students. That's because 287 kids the district is losing to Marion's home school assistance program, according to the district, don't count as fully funded students in the context of state aid. Trade those calculations for a real head count, and you'll see 1,144 kids open enrolling out and 434 coming in.

Ten years ago, the net loss was 204. In 2007-08, it was 280. In the past three years, the gap has grown from 481 to 597 to 710.

We know where they're going. This year, 384 students open enrolled to Marion Independent, including the home-school program. Another 346 kids go to College Community and 224 go to Linn-Mar, rounding out the top three destinations. (301 kids came into Cedar Rapids from those districts.)

But we don't know why they leave. Parents who request open enrollment and meet the filing deadline aren't required to say. And the district isn't asking. “We do not follow-up on why families choose to open enroll out,” said Sandy Stephen, the district's administrator of instructional services, in an email.

My question is why not? This is a school district that can summon consultants, post online polls, form special committees and hold open houses when it's closing schools. Surely, the nagging $3 million question of why so many kids are leaving, and what can be done about it, deserves the same effort.

If this is about declining enrollment, closing schools solves nothing. If it's about money, saving $1 million closing schools while $3 million flies out the door isn't a lasting solution. The real issue remains unaddressed. Polk is basically being sacrificed to slap another Band Aid on a budget that will just keep bleeding. Not much of a payoff for those moms' passion and tears.

I'm not saying Cedar Rapids' schools are low quality. I'm not pointing fingers. All I'm saying we need to dig deeper and get some answers.

I know some folks get really unhappy when I write about this stuff.  Sorry, but facts must trump emotion.

 OE-Dist 2002-11 Brd