PPEL will help keep Cedar Rapids students warm, safe and dry

As superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD), I am grateful for the support our community has shown our schools. Your dedication to our vision of "Every Learner, Future Ready" continues to inspire us daily. This spring, nearly 10,000 of you participated in our communitywide survey, showing that education remains a top priority in our community. We are using your feedback to help guide us as we address our facility needs.

It's been an incredible journey to really understand what it means to be Future Ready. We're not just preparing students for continued education endeavors and career opportunities. I realize we are preparing them to be good neighbors and active contributors to taking care of Cedar Rapids, making it a place that people want to call home. Indeed, ensuring students are Future Ready is part of the formula for creating a vibrant community.

On Tuesday, we have an opportunity to continue this legacy of support by going to the polls to vote on our Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL), known as “Public Measure C” on the ballot. This vital funding source has been the backbone of our infrastructure for the past 50 years, and its renewal is critical for our continued progress. The renewal would be for another 10 years at NO additional cost to taxpayers.

Our goal this year as a District is “barriers down and achievement up.” PPEL helps to bring down barriers. Students attending school every day by providing safe transportation — barrier down. Safety features such as secure entryways and security cameras provide students, staff, and families with a level of assurance — barrier down. Learning environments that are comfortable with appropriate heating and cooling, proper water faucets, roofs that don’t leak, and buildings that are ADA-accessible — all barriers to education that are able to come down through PPEL.

I want to assure you, PPEL is a crucial funding source, enabling us to create an environment where every student can thrive. It allows us to maintain, repair, and replace facilities, vehicles, and equipment, so children and staff are warm, safe, and dry. This PPEL renewal gives us the ability to have a 10-year preventive facility maintenance plan and allows us to quickly address any unforeseen repairs such as those after the derecho. This is the difference Public Measure C makes in the lives of our nearly 15,000 students and almost 3,000 staff members.

In addition, as a school district, we recognize schools with up-to-date facilities contribute to the overall health and vitality of our community. As we strive to be the school district of choice, we aspire to play a part of helping to bring new families to Cedar Rapids, sustaining property values, and training a skilled workforce that can drive our local economy forward. By investing in our schools through PPEL, we're not just fixing buildings — we're creating a path forward for our children and our community.

As you consider “Public Measure C” on Tuesday, remember this PPEL renewal comes at no additional cost to taxpayers, yet its impact directly touches every student in our district. Thank you for your trust and partnership in this journey. Together, let's build on our strong foundation of supporting our schools and making certain everyone is equipped, empowered, and engaged to excel, propelling our vision of Every Learner, Future Ready!

Dr. Tawana Grover is superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District.