Closing a high school or moving to a fifth through eighth grade middle school model are two additional “viable” options for how the Cedar Rapids school district could consolidate and close schools in an effort to reduce at least $6 million more from the district’s annual budget.
More options for how to close and consolidate schools — created with a community coalition — will be presented to the Cedar Rapids school board Monday in an effort to reduce millions more from the district’s annual budget.
This week on the On Iowa Politics podcast, we dig deep into recently published state campaign fundraising reports, everybody’s property tax flags have now been planted, and we hear from our columnists on the Cedar Rapids Schools budget situation.
The Cedar Rapids Community School District Friday will pilot its first home-based learning day, a new option this year for winter weather-related school cancellations.
Cedar Rapids schools’ chief financial officer and deputy Karla Hogan is retiring in January 2027.
Cedar Rapids school leaders are exploring moving City View Community High School and other innovative school options to the district office as they cut almost $12.9 million from the annual spending plan.
A proposal to close and realign schools will come back to the board in February before being taken to the community for further feedback.
More than 200 people turned out Monday at a Cedar Rapids school board meeting — and many spoke against a plan to close up to six elementary schools — but district leaders say school closures are necessary for long-term sustainability while acknowledging the decisions will be “extraordinarily hard.”
The plan — if approved by the school board — could save the district up to $7 million annually once fully implemented. Implementation of the plan could begin this summer or summer 2027 with full implementation expected to take two to three years minimum.
The Cedar Rapids school board is exploring $10.3 million in cost saving measures, including eliminating consulting contracts.
Also in this week’s Government Notes, the Cedar Rapids school board will meet Monday to consider proposed budget reductions.
Leaders of Iowa’s K-12 public schools are navigating an increasingly complex job, guiding districts through unprecedented changes such as broader school choice, politicization of schools, heightened public scrutiny and continued pandemic recovery.
Newly “inquisitive and curious“ Cedar Rapids school board and school and community leaders champion Superintendent Tawana Grover as the district embarks on plan to reduce the budget by $10 million.
More than one out of six K-12 students in Iowa are attending school outside of their neighborhood public school, including enrolling into another public school, a charter school or an accredited non-public school.
Also in this week’s Government Notes, the Cedar Rapids school board approved a calendar for the 2026-27 academic year
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