Cedar Rapids Schools Plan Major Upgrades With New Bond Proposal: What You Need to Know

Kids have to learn a lot in K-12, and then even more if they choose to continue their education. The environment in which they learn can make a difference. Having the proper infrastructure to keep kids safe and enable them to learn is important.

The proper buildings are a part of that safety. I get it—years ago, ya had to walk to school with cinder block shoes, 82 miles each way, through snow higher than the Paramount Theatre, and sit in a one-room schoolhouse trying to learn while freezing because the schoolhouse wasn’t well built.

Luckily, those days are over, mainly because we've hardly gotten any snow this year.  Hopefully, that jinxed us. Snowmageddon, here we come!

We’ve long since graduated from the one-room schoolhouses. The schools around Cedar Rapids, though, are aging, if not old. According to a Cedar Rapids Community School District press release, of the 19 elementary schools, six middle schools, and five high schools, the average age of the buildings is 62.5 years, and several were built 100 years ago.

If your house can go a hundred years and not need fixing, please tell me what materials you're using, because I'll build with those for sure!

What Does the Cedar Rapids School District Want from You?

They'd like your thoughts.  The last bond proposal, according to the CR Community School District (CRCSD) press release, failed in 2023.  Community members asked for a revised plan, and a task force was formed in 2024 to shape that proposal.

What's the Plan for the Cedar Rapids School District?

The CRCSD press release says they have 4 key projects identified, and they are:

• Renovate Wilson Middle School - They would make this an elementary school that would serve students who currently attend Grant and Cedar River Academy (CRA). The current Wilson students would be transitioned to Roosevelt Middle School.
• Renovate and Expand McKinley Middle School - This school would serve both McKinley and Franklin Middle School, with the Franklin building being repurposed for Metro High School students, and programming to be determined. They've got more.
• Construct a New Middle School - The new school would be on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids and would replace Harding Middle School.  Harding would be removed from the district's inventory, which sounds very mob-esque.  It would then become green space.
• Expand Kennedy High School - They'd like to include a dedicated space for freshmen, have similar programming to Washington and Jefferson High School, and expand Kennedy's cafeteria.

What Will This Cost Iowans?

As stated in the press release, the bond proposal cost is $210.6 million.  They claim that CRCSD has the lowest tax rate in Linn County.

They go on to say that, even with the approval of the bond proposal, tax rates would be lower than those of Marion, Linn-Mar, College Community, Mt. Vernon, Lisbon, and Center Point-Urbana. They reference a $200,000 home, and if the bond proposal passes, that household would see an estimated tax increase of $15.45.

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What do you think about that? Well, CRCSD would like to know. Once they hear from the public, they will finalize the bond language at the school board meeting come April 2025.  Shaken, not stirred (that's real Bond language... James Bond). Then, on to voters in November.

If you need more info, follow this link to get all you need to know: Cedar Rapids Community School District Responds to Voters with New Bond Proposal

Ok, now let's move on from bonds to unbreakable bonds. Things that don't cost anything but love. Maybe a few dollars here and there, but nothing they could create a store after, right? What we have here is the cutest foster pet that may have found a forever home. Meet Barry!