Westercamp files for re-election to Cedar Rapids school board

Keith Westercamp has filed for re-election to the Cedar Rapids Community School District's school board.

He filed papers Tuesday, said Board Secretary Laurel Day, making the Cedar Rapids resident the first candidate to enter the race.

Voters have sent Westercamp back to the board for four consecutive terms following his initial election in 1997. He called sitting on the board "a privilege" and cited his love for public education as a reason for seeking a sixth term.

"In my last term, I've finally seen some changes taking place in education and I want to make sure we continue on that track," said Westercamp, who represents District 3 and is running to once again hold that seat.

Among those changes he listed learning communities and programming with Kirkwood Community College.

"Those have taken a while to really ramp up to get to the place we're at now," said Westercamp, owner of Appraisal Associates Company. "We've done a lot but there's so much more to do."

Technology and facilities upgrades are on Westercamp's list of priorities, which is fitting given that voters in the Tuesday, Sept. 10 school board election will also face a question of whether or not to double the district's Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, money that would go towards enacting an $8.5 million enhanced facilities plan.

“We've been a district that has spent money on textbooks instead of computers," Westercamp said. "We're finally in a place where we've got to really consider, 'What are we doing for the future?' ... A lot of our children have technology all the time and they come to school and that technology isn't necessarily where it should be."

Filing for election opened on July 8. Neither Nancy Humbles, who represents District 2, nor At-Large Board Member Gary Anhalt have yet filed to defend their seats, which are the remaining two up for election this fall.