Cedar Rapids schools considering September bond issue referendum

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Community School District is considering asking voters this fall to approve a bond issue that could range from $55 million all the way to $420 million to help fund its facilities master plan.

In an update Tuesday that was open online for the public, Superintendent Noreen Bush presented three possible options for a general obligation bond this September: $55 million, $280 million or $420 million, depending on the scope of work.

"It is our belief we will need our community to support secondary facilities,“ Bush said. The referendum would need to be approved by at least 60 percent of voters within the school district to pass.

Last year, the Cedar Rapids school board approved an agreement between the district and OPN Architects to study secondary schools for a facility needs assessment, including the district’s six middle schools, three high schools and its alternative high school, Metro.

A task force is working to review the district’s facilities master plan for elementary schools and now secondary schools. Recommendations from the panel for upgrades for the next three years are expected to be presented this spring to the school board. The task force will reconvene in the fall to develop recommendations for a plan for four to 10 years from now.

It is estimated about $150 million will be needed to bring the district’s six middle schools — Franklin, McKinley, Roosevelt, Wilson, Harding and Taft — up to current education standards, Bush said.

The district is considering its options in updating these facilities — many of which have historic value — that would include renovating existing buildings and building new schools.

A 2018 facilities master plan included building 10 new elementary schools and renovating three over the next 15 to 20 years. This process included the closure and re-purposing of eight schools.

As a part of the plan, the district constructed and opened West Willow Elementary School this year, which replaced Coolidge Elementary School. Maple Grove Elementary School will open to replace Jackson Elementary School in the fall.

The opening of these buildings will create room for projected growth on the west side of Cedar Rapids over the next 10 years, Bush said. A third school in the plan, Truman Elementary at 441 W. Post Rd. NW, is reopening this fall as Truman Early Childcare Center.

Each new elementary school will serve between 500-600 students. Right now, elementary schools vary in student population, serving between 200 to 500 students, creating an inequitable distribution of resources, Bush said.

According to the 2018 plan, Arthur Elementary School, 2630 B Ave. NE, is next to be upgraded — a recommendation the task force may or may not uphold this spring.

The elementary school work has been funded by SAVE — Secure an Advanced Vision for Educators — an existing statewide sales tax allocated to school districts based on certified enrollment.

The district’s enrollment and student demographics have changed over the last 20 years. Overall school enrollment has decreased from 17,665 students in 1997 to 16,200 students in 2020.

The number of students who qualify for the English Language Learner program has increased from 1.17 percent of students in 2008 to 7.1 percent of students in 2020.

The number of students enrolled in free and reduced-price lunch has more than doubled, going from 26.1 percent in 2001 to 57 percent in 2021.

Many buildings have aspects that are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. For example, there is not a lift or elevator in Arthur Elementary, a two-story building. A student who needs those services would have to enroll in a different school or programming at Arthur would need to be adjusted so everything that student needs access to is on the first floor, Bush said.

As the needs of students change, school buildings need to have the capacity and flexibility to add and increase capacity for programs, Bush said.

Community members will continue to have opportunities to learn more about the plan and provide input through upcoming town halls, community meetings and surveys.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com