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Cedar Rapids' Schools are aging. The student census has dropped by one third over the past decades. It is time to work toward a sustainable future with the district's resources. The selected five buildings represent what the school district's consultants' have ranked on the low end of the appraisal criteria*. Save Cedar Rapids Schools includes appraisal criteria from two other sources. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the USGBC's LEED AP Operations + Maintenance criteria. The Thurgood Marshall Elementary School In Philadelphia "is a shining example of transforming an existing, urban building into a healthy, green school for students, teachers, and staff." The Save Cedar Rapids Schools' appraisal criteria also includes data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and its research on children's health through exercise to and from neighborhood schools.
Arthur     Cleveland     Garfield     Johnson     Wright  
Site 61   Site 80   Site 70   Site 64   Site 76
Struct./Mech. 132   Struct./Mech. 125   Struct./Mech. 129   Struct./Mech. 135   Struct./Mech. 132
Maintainability 58   Maintainability 49   Maintainability 53   Maintainability 50   Maintainability 56
Safety/Security 135   Safety/Security 141   Safety/Security 131   Safety/Security 166   Safety/Security 165
Educational Adequacy 142   Educational Adequacy 103   Educational Adequacy 138   Educational Adequacy 149   Educational Adequacy 110
Environment 133   Environment 105   Environment 109   Environment 130   Environment 120
CRCSD - Results 661     603     630     694     659
Historical/Culture 75   Historical/Culture 55   Historical/Culture 90   Historical/Culture 45   Historical/Culture 60
Health/Well-Being** 65   Health/Well-Being** 70   Health/Well-Being** 75   Health/Well-Being** 70   Health/Well-Being** 70
Renovate/Green 55   Renovate/Green 55   Renovate/Green 60   Renovate/Green 70   Renovate/Green 60
SCRS - Results 195     180     225     185     190
Combined Results 856     783     855     879     849
Key                          
CRCSD (CEFPI)     SCRS (NTHP/USGBC)     Combined Results              
CRCSD - Cedar Rapids Community School District, CEFPI - Council of Educational Facility Planners International
USGBC - US Green Building Council, NTHP - National Trust for Historic Preservation
Heritage Ohio has many examples of how historic schools have been renovated through adaptive reuse retaining their function as public schools. Cornerstone Elementary in Wooster, Ohio is an historic 1908 building. The modest budget was able to upgrade the HVAC, increase classroom sizes by combining three into two and all accessibility requirements. Jones Middle School was built in 1924, originally to serve K-12 students. The most expensive part of the renovation was the new heating and cooling systems. Pataskala Elementary "as recently as 1997 however, original sections of the building were condemned as unfit to house students. Remaining sections were in a state of similar decline. Insufficient classroom size, inferior technology, substandard electric and mechanical systems were but a sample of the school’s problems." Heritage Ohio
Howe School in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis was closed in 2005. A buyer was sought to convert it to housing or other appropriate uses. Howe exhibits many of the features new buildings are designed with, natural light, ventilation and other basic builidng features sough today in LEED projects. The timeless features of the Collegiate Gothic style represent a continuum and landmark for the neighbohood for the past 90 years.
Kansas City Schools have undergone the re-purposing on many historic schools. Westport Middle School/Plexpod is a unique redevelopment into a co-working and community space. Swinney School/West Hill Apartments is a market-rate housing development including new apartments. Faxon School was redeveloped into affordable senior apartments.

* Facility Needs Analysis, June 27, 2011, **American Academy of Pediatrics (2009)
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