The Cedar Rapids school district is considering a plan for building 13 new schools in five years.

Those schools would replace many of the current schools and could be bigger, reducing the number of schools overall.

On Tuesday, the district held a community input session at Arthur Elementary School.

Parents and staff reviewed the ages of the district's oldest schools and saw how expensive it would be to improve them. The plan would cost more than $200 million, with PPEL dollars covering most of it.

The district did not say where the thirteen new schools would go. It says it owns land by Morgan Creek which is where a big road construction project is happening.

Highway 100 is expanding to connect with Highway 30.

There aren't many schools there yet, but when the project is finished, that part of Cedar Rapids is expected to grow by 30,000.

"We don't want to create a challenge for folks 20 or 25 years from now saying, 'Hey I wish they had thought about where potential growth might occur.' So were trying to balance all of that in our conversation," Cedar Rapids School District Superintendent Brad Buck said.

Some attending the meeting said they were concerned that the district isn't looking to renovate older buildings.

The district is considering elementary schools that can hold 600 children, meaning the district would need fewer schools. One concerned parent said that could also mean long bus rides for kids.

"I like the idea of refurbishing what we have, but I do understand it looks a lot more appealing to many people, and I understand but it also doesn't seem like they are taking as much account the fact that they might be hurting the education," Lycan Davis said.

These are the three options:

Elementary Option 1

• Thirteen NEW elementary schools serving K-5 students – Capacity 7,800 students

• Each school a 600 capacity with space designed for special programs

• Cost range between $16,000,000 and $20,000,000

• Total cost = $208,000,000 and $260,000,000

Elementary Option 2

• Thirteen NEW elementary schools serving K-5 students – Capacity 7,350 students

• Three schools with 450 student capacity with space designed for special programs

• Ten schools with 600 capacity with space designed for special programs

• Cost range between $14,000,000 and $20,000,000

• Total Cost = $202,000,000 and $254,000,000

Elementary Option 3

• Thirteen NEW elementary schools serving K-5 students – Capacity 7,200 students

• Four schools with 450 student capacity with space designed for special programs

• Nine schools with 600 capacity with space designed for special programs

• Cost range between $14,000,000 and $20,000,000

• Total cost = $200,000,000 and $252,000,000

There are two more meetings. One at Van Buren Elementary on Wednesday and one Thursday at Nixon Elementary.