Survey results show families, staff and residents of the Cedar Rapids Community School District prefer a plan to move to an intermediate school model over other plans in an effort to reduce at least $6 million more from the 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.
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.
Closing schools “is necessary” as the Cedar Rapids Community School District examines how to reduce its annual budget by more than $10 million after a decade of declining enrollment.
No direct financial ties, but past associations raise questions
Using the learning model called Instructional Empowerment, students in the Cedar Rapids school district work in teams of three or four to tackle questions posed by the teacher, fostering a culture of respectful discourse and a sense of belonging in the classroom.
Cedar Rapids schools Superintendent Tawana Grover wants to harness the momentum gained in Tuesday’s failed bond referendum vote to build a school district the community backs.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights threatened this week to withhold millions in funding from the Cedar Rapids Community School District unless it severed partnerships and disbanded initiatives aimed at promoting equity for students and staff of color.
Several executive leadership positions were removed from a revised personnel report approved by the Cedar Rapids school board Monday. It was the second time in a week the board has considered approval of a personnel report after last week’s vote failed.
The Cedar Rapids school board unanimously approved the new contract with Superintendent Tawana Grover effective July 1, and ending June 30, 2028. Grover requested no salary increase as part of the extension.
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