Roosevelt principal leaving to open new charter school

CEDAR RAPIDS — A principal at a Cedar Rapids middle school is taking paid time off for the remainder of the fiscal year after sending an email to staff last month — from his school email address — asking them to join him in opening a new charter school.

Justin Blietz, principal of the Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy at 300 13th St. NW, sent an email to staff May 19, asking for “80 percent of you to join me” in opening a new school for the 2025-26 school year.

In an interview with The Gazette, Blietz said his decision to take paid time off was “mutual” between him and the school district and that he plans to spend time with his family before “digging into a new role.”

Blietz said taking paid time off was “nothing disciplinary in nature.”

Blietz remains an employee of the Cedar Rapids Community School District until June 30, district spokesman Justin Schaefer confirmed.

Opportunity Education hired Blietz to be principal of a new charter school opening in Cedar Rapids in August 2025 called Quest Forward Academy. The school eventually will be open to sixth- through 12th-graders.

Quest Forward Academy is one of three charter schools planning to open within the Cedar Rapids school district attendance boundary over the next two years.

Blietz has been principal at Roosevelt for the past two years. Before that, he was the director of culture and climate for the district.

Jason Martinez was named the next principal of Roosevelt. He has been principal of McKinley STEAM Academy — a middle school at 620 10th St. SE in the Cedar Rapids district — for almost a decade.

The district is looking to hire the next principal at McKinley, according to a district newsletter last week.

In the email Blietz sent to Roosevelt school staff in May — obtained by The Gazette through an open records request — Blietz said he dealt with “outlandish rumors” during the school year as he tried to focus on “communication and collaboration.”

“I knew that I could not continue to lead change in an environment that feared students and valued individual needs over the needs of students and families,” Blietz wrote in his email to Roosevelt staff with the subject line Weekly Updates.

”With that said, that is why I shared that I hope many will join me in my new role. 80% of our team was amazing and did the most amazing work. … I will be opening a school for the 25-26 school year. I would love for 80% of you to join me.“

Blietz told The Gazette he believes the Cedar Rapids Community School District is doing a “wonderful job.” He said he is helping launch a charter school to provide more choices to students and families.

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