By Cindy Hadish/Save CR Heritage

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Cedar Rapids Community School District Board of Education unanimously voted Aug. 26 to renovate Harrison Elementary, but was unclear whether or not the upgrades would be tied to their next bond referendum.

With board member Jennifer Neumann absent, the other six members all approved the recommendation to update the architecturally significant school, at 1310 11th St. NW, after last year voting to demolish it, overturning a task force recommendation that would have kept Harrison.

The matter returned to the School Board after Save CR Heritage collected thousands of petition signatures, held a demonstration, spoke at board meetings and more to advocate saving Harrison, but it wasn’t until the district hired consultants who conducted a survey that board members changed their minds, after results showed the district’s $220 million bond referendum failed, in part, because of the Harrison demolition decision.

Built in 1929 in a unique English Tudor and Gothic design, Harrison opened in 1930 and is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The district is closing neighborhood elementary schools and building larger “mega-schools” to combine student populations; in this case with Harrison and Madison Elementary.

Chad Schumacher, the district’s director of operations, said a committee will be examining the funding source for the project, estimated at $35 million, compared to the $34 million estimate for a new school. The new Trailside Elementary School, which opened for the first time last week, came in at $33.3 million.

Earlier this month, the School Board voted to demolish Hoover Elementary and Van Buren Elementary, using Secure an Advanced Vision for Education — or SAVE funds — for both projects, which does not require a vote by residents. Each new school will likely cost about the same as other new schools, totaling more than $66 million.

Mary Tresnak, speaking on behalf of Save CR Heritage, asked whether the board would make the renovation of Harrison contingent on the outcome of next year’s bond vote, rather than through SAVE funding, as previous elementary school construction has been funded.

“Tying the renovation of Harrison to the larger bond issue comes across as disingenuous and less than honest at a time when the Board is seeking the community’s trust,” Tresnak said. “If the renovation of Harrison is in fact tied to the larger bond issue, it appears to hold the students of Harrison and Madison hostage in exchange for voter approval of the entire package.”

With the school district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy up for a vote on Sept. 10, Save CR Heritage is concerned the district is not revealing the funding source of Harrison in order to pass the PPEL extension, a $1.34 per $1,000 in taxable property valuation for the next 10 years. Schumacher said the committee will look at all of the district’s projects before making a funding recommendation. That decision will come after the PPEL vote.

Related: Opposition forms to PPEL vote

Phil Krejci of Cedar Rapids also addressed the School Board, saying they need to commit to preserving Harrison, and Wilson Middle School, to earn his vote on the PPEL extension.

Beth DeBoom, a past president and founder of Save CR Heritage, spoke to the principal at Longfellow Elementary in Iowa City, which had renovated the school, built in 1917.

DeBoom presented some of her findings to the School Board, including the meticulous fashion used to renovate the building.

“Longfellow opened with great celebration,” she said. “Saving the school wasn’t just good for the surrounding neighborhood, it was good for the entire community.”

Read more: Iowa City upgrades schools at half the cost of Cedar Rapids

Robin Randall, of Legat Architects, which the district hired to examine the Harrison options, said the school’s room sizes, at 850 square feet, would be the same as those in new elementary schools that have been built in Cedar Rapids over the past few years.

“It will be equitable in terms of quantity and quality of spaces,” she said. “When you walk into the newly remodeled Harrison, it will feel like a new classroom.”

See the full statement from Save CR Heritage:

Dear Board of Education,

Save Cedar Rapids Heritage is supportive of the action item before you tonight to renovate Harrison Elementary School and we appreciate the board listening to constituents who understand the cultural value of this structurally sound building for students, teachers, the neighborhood and future generations. As we’ve previously noted, the unique English Tudor- and Gothic-designed building is the most architecturally significant of the city’s elementary schools and was built to last. Upgrading existing buildings can help avoid significant environmentally costly new emissions, and keep tons of building materials out of our landfill, showing a true commitment to the environment and our students’ futures.

Last year, the School Board approved a $30 million bond issue for Harrison, funding that should still be available. We are concerned, however, by the timeline included in tonight’s presentation that shows bidding for the Harrison project would come after the 2025 bond referendum and question whether the board would make the renovation of Harrison contingent on the outcome of next year’s vote, rather than through SAVE funding, as previous elementary school construction has been funded.

Tying the renovation of Harrison to the larger bond issue comes across as disingenuous and less than honest at a time when the Board is seeking the community’s trust. If the renovation of Harrison is in fact tied to the larger bond issue, it appears to hold the students of Harrison and Madison hostage in exchange for voter approval of the entire package. As your strategic plan calls for building trust and credibility, and transparent and inclusive communication, we hope that the timing of the Harrison project is just coincidental to the timing of the bond referendum and not dependent on it. Otherwise, it gives the appearance that the School Board is not providing equitable treatment to Harrison and Madison students as has been afforded to students in more affluent neighborhoods.

We truly hope to celebrate your decision tonight, with no strings attached, and support this monumental vote for our students, teachers, staff and the entire community.

Thank you for your consideration of our children and their future.