Springville's decision: Upgrading a rundown school meets declining enrollment

SPRINGVILLE — School is one of the biggest draws in Springville, a town some 15 miles east of Cedar Rapids with about 1,100 people and few businesses.

'A school is the life blood of a small community,' said Springville resident Rich Lorimer. 'A lot of things revolve around the school. Heart of the community, might be a better way to put it.'

As with many rural Iowa school districts, Springville Community School District is grappling with competing forces — the need to fix rundown property, declining enrollment and an uncertain future.

The current debate centers around Springville's 53-year-old elementary school.

Window frames are rotting. A common area serves as a gym, cafeteria, multipurpose room, assembly hall and hallway linking three wings.

Bathrooms lack sinks for washing hands. The open-concept classrooms face constant disruptions.

'I don't think there's a great debate that the building needs upgrades,' said Amy Kortemeyer, the Springville school district superintendent.

The question is how big a project a shrinking district needs. Or, put another way, how much should taxpayers be asked to pay?

The district is proposing a $7.2 million bond to fix and expand the elementary school and for the ability to increase the tax levy up to $4.05 per $1,000 of taxable property value to pay for it. That's an extra $256 per year for a homeowner of a $125,000 home in Springville, according to district figures.

A 60 percent majority is needed for the measures to pass when it goes up for vote next Tuesday, Sept. 9.

The elementary school project would include updates such as lighting, building security, heating and cooling, sidewalks and windows; a new metal roof; new ceilings; and an expansion with a new gym and an expanded media center.

Handmade signs of supporters read, 'Vote yes for our kids' and 'Vote yes for our community.'

'Even with our kids grown and gone past elementary school, we need to step up to the plate and ensure we have a quality product for the kids coming up,' said Lorimer, whose children are in high school.

'They'll still be paying'

But critics said aspects of the project — such as a new gymnasium and large media center — are excessive, irresponsible and beyond what the community can afford.

Springville already has two gyms, the metal roof isn't needed and the proposed media center is larger than necessary, said Deb Vaughn, a longtime residents who attended the elementary shortly after it was built in 1961.

The project should be scaled back in proportion to a district that has been losing students, — and thus losing revenue, she said.

'You want to give your kids the best you can give them, but you can't give them more than you can afford,' Vaughn continued. 'If these kids grow up and move back to the district, they'll still be paying for it.'

The district's enrollment has shrunk 25 percent, to 373 students, in the past 10 years and is projected to dip 20 percent more to 300 students by 2018, according to data from the Iowa Department of Education.

At $6,400 per pupil, the loss of students adds up quickly, said Jeff Berger, deputy director of the Iowa Department of Education.

'If you lose four kids, six kids a year, that's half a teacher's salary,' Berger said. 'It does have an impact.'

'Relook, review and revise'

The district has responded with cuts to staffing, academic programs and administration, and more cuts are recommended by the Iowa School Finance Services, said Vaughn and another opponent of the building proposal, Don Simmons, also of Springville.

'It does not seem like a good time to commit to $7.22 million,' Simmons said. 'I think we need to relook, review and revise the plans and address the immediate needs.'

Shrinking school districts are more vulnerable then ever in Iowa, which makes big commitments such as the one Springville is considering a much tougher choice.

Districts with declining enrollment no longer can recoup budget losses, and the state will no longer approve mergers such that the new district would have fewer than 300 students.

The Des Moines Register reported that 14 districts consolidated into seven this school year, and more consolidations are on the horizon. While school consolidation has not been officially proposed for Springville, it is an issue smaller districts around Iowa — including Springville — are thinking about.

'I'm just going to go out on a limb and say every school district under the number 400 (students) is having conversations about what will happen in the future,' the DOE's Berger said.

Some Springville residents believe an attractive school could help the district grow by luring new families, as growth from Cedar Rapids and Marion continues eastward.

Still, Lorimer said, even if Springville's future includes consolidation, a well-built elementary school would still serve the community for years to come.

'School is huge in the community,' Lorimer said. 'Between school and churches, it's the biggest draws in the community.

'Really ...

as we look at it, we see this project as for the kids and the community. We hope as an added benefit it will draw in new families.'

If you go

•What

: Springville Community School District bond meeting

•When

: Tour at 6:30 p.m. Information meeting at 7 p.m., Sept. 7

•Where

: Springville Elementary School, 602 Mill Ave., Springville