As School Choice Movement Grows, So Does Debate Over Cost

Cassie Mitvalsky never thought she would enroll one of her children in private school. “Never in a million years,” she said. “I’m a social worker, so I believe in how important public schools are.” But when the Cedar Rapids mother found herself at odds with her son’s school district, educating her son elsewhere started to sound worthwhile. Mitvalsky was one of dozens of parents who pleaded with board members to keep Polk Elementary School open in 2012, calling it a vital piece of a downtown neighborhood that is more racially and economically diverse than many other Cedar Rapids areas. In the end, it didn’t matter.