Cedar Rapids School Board members will have another option to consider as the Board continues to discuss whether to ask voters this fall to fund updates and improvements to its aging school buildings.
Board members will hear details on April 28 about a new $117 million proposal crafted in response to community feedback. This new proposal is about half the cost of an initial, more ambitious plan of $211 million. While community members expressed strong support for maintaining and modernizing historic school buildings, many raised concerns about the overall cost of the initial proposal amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
In a survey conducted by the school district earlier this year, the comments of one community member summed up what seemed to be a community consensus:
“I am appreciative that this proposal seems more focused on what is necessary instead of just ‘nice to haves’ (e.g., sports complexes). I am open to an increase in taxes to support our schools; however, this proposal’s impact on taxes is still about twice as much as I feel confident supporting in the current economic climate.” – one community member
Taking this feedback to heart, a Bond Taskforce of staff, parents, students and community members worked closely with the district to revise the proposal, prioritizing essential improvements while significantly reducing the overall cost. The new $117 million plan maintains a strong focus on renovating existing buildings that enhance student learning environments, ensure safety, security, and accessibility, while balancing community affordability.
Significantly, it would drop plans for a new northeast side middle school, which was one of the most expensive and controversial components of the initial plan.
“We are deeply grateful to our community for sharing honest and constructive feedback,” said Dr. Tawana Grover, Superintendent of Schools. “We heard your concerns, and we acted on them. We trust our School Board will now consider all of its options and continue to balance the needs of our students with the economic realities taxpayers are feeling.”
At $117 million, a bond issue would cost the owner of a $200,000 home about $7.47 per month or $89.60 per year, about half the $185.40 impact of the $211 million proposal. Under either proposal, Cedar Rapids Schools would continue to have the lowest property tax rates in the metro area and one of the lowest rates in the wider region.
The revised bond proposal includes the following projects:
- Renovation of McKinley Middle School to address school safety, operational efficiency and student capacity issues.
- Renovation of Wilson Middle School into an Elementary to house students from Cedar River Academy and Grant Elementary in a safer and more modern learning environment.
- Renovation of Roosevelt Middle School to accommodate students from Wilson Middle School and address school safety and operational efficiency issues.
- Renovations at Kennedy High School to address overcrowding in the café and commons areas and to adapt space for new freshman programming.
Since revising the plan, the district has engaged more than 500 stakeholders through meetings, presentations, and feedback sessions. To date, the revised proposal has received a 66% approval rating from those surveyed.
To further engage the community ahead of the final School Board vote, the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance will launch another community survey to see if public support is sufficient for the School Board to forge ahead. The Board is expected to decide on May 12 whether to put a measure on the November ballot.
April 28, 2025 – Board of Education Meeting