MASON CITY – In what some say was always a foregone conclusion, the Mason City school board has voted to demolish Madison School, one of the last bits of history left in the school district.
The board decided that the decades-old school was too costly to upkeep and a minimum $1 million renovation was way out of its price range. Madison is the last of the old-style school buildings left in Mason City outside of the former High School, which is now called Mohawk Square. That was renovated into office space years ago and is privately owned.
Many in the Madison School neighborhood (Midland Heights) feared that the school property would be sold and developed in a fashion would undermine the harmony in the area. Residents are wary of “low-income housing” developments that could take the place of the school once it is gone. They say that rentals are already overtaking the area, leading to a general decline of houses and yards and more turnover of those living in those properties. Once the school is gone, it is not known what might happen at that footprint or to the adjacent playground, used and loved by nearby families. The school district has not shown a propensity to work with the city or other local organizations to come up with solutions that would be best for the community, only what is best for its immediate bottom-line.