Public Invited to Give Input on Declining Enrollment Proposals

By Jill Kasparie, Reporter

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By Lisa Kunkel

Story Created: Feb 2, 2012 at 8:24 AM CDT

Story Updated: Feb 2, 2012 at 11:43 AM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Parents, students, and members of the Cedar Rapids School District are preparing to talk about the future of the district. Declining enrollment has it rethinking its schools.

Thursday night, the board of education gets its first chance to respond to public input. A forum will be held to give the community a chance to look at maps and proposed changes after the district conducted an enrollment study.

“We value the feedback. I think we are always eager to gain another perspective from parents and community members and the information will be used,” said Cedar Rapids Executive Administrator Mary Ellen Maske.

Four schools could be closed, including Harrison, Madison, Monroe and Polk. The board of education also will consider shifting boundaries for schools.

Madison PTA Co-President Jen Kovach said she knows many people are planning to attend the public forum. “Our strategy is we did send out some talking points to all of our families so we are all talking the same message,” Kovach said.

In the meantime, some district administrators are also beginning preliminary discussions about staff levels within the district. “The teachers will follow students. We aren’t losing students necessarily, they are just moving to a new attendance area. If indeed, the decision was made to close some schools, what we would be looking at is determining where the students are and where the staff would be assigned,” Maske said.

Thursday’s meeting is the first of two public forums. It starts at 4:00 at the Grant Wood Area Education Agency. On Thursday Feb. 9 another one will be held at Kennedy High School.

Administrators said the board of education will make its final decision on changes within the district during its March 12 meeting.

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