Cedar Rapids City Council members voiced concern Wednesday about schools near downtown and on the west side of the city closing under a facility master plan proposed by school leaders. The comments came during a joint meeting of the council and the school board.

The school district’s plan “hollows” out the city,“ O’Donnell said.

“Schools are development drivers. People move to neighborhoods because of public safety and because of schools,” O’Donnell said. Moving schools out of the core of the city is “one way I know for sure they’re not going to move to those neighborhoods. I believe your property is going to be worthless without schools in those neighborhoods.”

“I want to support shiny new schools where all the growth is and I want to make sure we are not giving up on our city schools,” O’Donnell said. “By not investing in the west side, I’m afraid that’s going to happen.”

Dale Todd, a city council member, said the “elephant” in the room is “white flight,” the phenomenon of white people moving out of urban areas, particularly those with significant historically marginalized populations, and into suburban areas. “Those issues are at the root of not just this district but other districts all over.”

Bulldoze the suburbs.