Think long and hard about Polk

(Thursday's print column, delayed by technical difficulty)

First, some credit where credit is due.

Cedar Rapids Superintendent Dave Benson gave the School Board his recommendations this week for school closures and boundary changes. And I think he deserves praise for his decision to leave Harrison and Madison elementary schools open.

It's a clear signal that the school district is willing, like the city and many community leaders, to bet on the future of core west-side neighborhoods. Sparing Harrison in particular is a big boost for redevelopment.

Harrison's fate is the reason I got interested in all this in the first place. But I don't feel much like celebrating.

Because if you care about kids and education, you should grieve the looming loss of Polk Elementary School.

Polk is in a neighborhood that's seen better days. Many of its students come from families struggling economically. Nine in 10 kids qualify for free or discounted hot lunch. At-risk, special needs, homeless. If you've got a label, Polk's got the kids.

But instead of all those tough ingredients adding up to low student achievement, Polk excels. Its third grade reading and science proficiency scores whip the district average, and math misses by a hair. Polk's academic trendlines are headed in the right direction. The school worked its way off the dreaded federal Schools in Need of Assistance list, a fact students and staff celebrated just last month. By all accounts I've heard, it's a special school, successful and beloved.

Now, it's on the chopping block. I've been hard on the school board lately, but I still have hope they'll think long and hard about this one before a final vote on March 12. Saving $650,000 is swell. But what will we be losing? How much is that worth? Think long and hard.

And if you care about open government, this process should make you uncomfortable.

I'm not suggesting any dark motives or sinister conspiracies. But two decisive stretches of this process - months of stakeholder committee meetings and Benson's sessions with a panel of external advisers - were closed to the public.

Transparency isn't all about media relations and colorful placards. It's about the fundamental ability of citizens to witness the deliberations, discussions and debates that lead to important public policy decisions. Without that ability, misunderstanding and misinformation fill the vacuum.

I'm troubled that any superintendents in Iowa can appoint large committees to tackle major public issues with no legal obligation to allow the public to watch. Anyone who moves to plug that loophole would deserve a great deal of credit.