(Radio Iowa) – The Cedar Rapids school board voted Monday night to close several schools in an effort to right-size the district’s financial situation. Six school buildings will be shuttered, including five elementary schools, which officials say should save about five-million dollars a year, though the district is projected to be short 12-million dollars in next year’s budget. Kennedy High School Principal Jason Kline says the moves will put the district in a stronger position going forward.
“What we are looking at here is an opportunity to do something in our district that we have talked about for decades but never had a way of doing,” Kline says, “and what is most remarkable about the situation is we’re doing it maybe under the duress of finance.” The district’s new schooling model will go into effect next fall. It involves closing the five elementary schools and opening three new intermediate schools for fifth and sixth graders.
District director Cindy Garlock says they’re working to make sure every student has the best opportunity they can get, regardless of what building they are in. “This is not about one building. This is not about one side of town or one high school or one area,” Garlock says. “This is about one school district, and how do we move forward together.”
All school board members but one voted in favor of the closures and re-configurations. The district is facing declining enrollment as more families choose to use Educational Savings Accounts to attend nearby private and charter schools.
