Cedar Rapids Students, Parents Prepare for New Schools & Bus Routes

By Nadia Crow, Reporter

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Aug 8, 2012 at 6:14 PM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 8, 2012 at 6:14 PM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The first day of school is an already emotional time for kids and now nearly 200 Cedar Rapids kids will go to a new school on a new bus.

Despite public outcry and thousands of signatures on a petition, the Cedar Rapids Community School Board voted to close Polk Elementary School. Families had to pick a new school to educate their kids and the district re-drew many school boundary lines affecting bus routes.

Former Polk students will walk to unfamiliar territory and others will be dropped off at schools for the first time. But the district says it's all for the betterment of the district as a whole.

It's the end of the school day for 30 former Polk Elementary students who now attend Taylor Elementary. They're being bused from Taylor back to Polk where they'll walk home.

"The walk to Polk is a safe walking distance that's similar to what students wold be making at our other buildings,” said Cedar Rapids Community School District Transportation Manager Denny Schreckengast.

"I've never been to a school like that before,” said former Polk Student Zachary Hill.

It's a mix of emotions for second grader Zachary Hill. In less than two weeks, he'll walk into Garfield Elementary leaving behind Polk. "It's close to home still. It's a smaller school. The class sizes are still small,” said former Polk Parent Jennifer Hill.

The Hills picked Garfield, joining 27 other former Polk students. The majority of Zach's former classmates, 45 students, chose Arthur School.

Jennifer Hill urges other district parents and community members to stay involved and attend school board meetings to have a say in the future of the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

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