Taylor Parents Press Issue With Superintendent

By Stephen Schmidt, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Jul. 26–CEDAR RAPIDS — More than 50 parents and their children gathered for a petition rally near Taylor Elementary School on Saturday, arguing that the Cedar Rapids School District should use modular buildings provided by FEMA to house students instead of canceling Taylor’s 2008-2009 school year.

At several small tables a few feet from the flood-damaged school, concerned parents signed petitions and expressed their concerns about the school district dispersing their children to several other schools this year. Children marched by holding signs, chanting, “Save Taylor School.”

Cedar Rapids Superintendent Dave Markward tried to explain the district’s decision to the parents.

“We don’t want to bring modular buildings into an area that can be flooded,” Markward said. “We still don’t think that at this time it would be a good solution for us.”

In addition, he said, there are several disadvantages to using temporary buildings: It would be more difficult to feed the students, provide services such as nurses that parents expect and deal with a severe winter.

It would also be harder to transport students who are scattered all over the city to one site, he said, adding that the school district is only using the modular buildings for temporary office space because the district has no other place to go.

But parents like Chris Wheeler, who has three children at Taylor Elementary, were not convinced. The stability and structure of a neighborhood school are vital to her children, she said.

“That is the reason that I stayed here, and it’s the reason I will rebuild here,” Wheeler said. “This is more than a school — it’s the heart of the neighborhood.”

When Wheeler and others addressed the crowd after Markward’s speech, the crowd responded with applause and cries of “Amen!” and “That’s right” and “Keep our kids at home.” Several speakers, clearly upset about the absence of Taylor Elementary for even one year, appeared to stare angrily at Markward as they spoke.

The organizers of the petition drive planned to canvass the neighborhood after the event in search of more signatures.

Taylor Principal Brian Christoffersen said that, even if nothing comes of the petition, he was glad to see the passion from the community.

“It’s obviously heartening,” Christoffersen said. “I know how important the school is to the neighborhood.”

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