College Community Schools to temporarily open enrollment for first time in 20 years

CEDAR RAPIDS - The College Community School District is offering limited open enrollment for the 2021-22 school year after a significant decline that's being attributed to the pandemic and derecho last August.

Opening enrollment is in the district's 'best interest,” and could help mitigate the financial impact, Superintendent Doug Wheeler said in a news release this week.

The district is down 110 students certified enrollment, a phenomenon happening across the state as school districts report lost enrollment because of the pandemic this school year.

The College Community school board approved opening limited open enrollment during a special board meeting Feb. 17.

Each grade will have an established number of open slots ranging from four to 12, depending on grade level and building needs.

Wheeler said the decline in enrollment this year has been an 'anomaly.”

College Community Schools have been closed to new enrollment to manage growth over the past 20 years.

Opening enrollment now is intended to be a one-year recovery to assist the district in managing the financial impact of enrollment decline.

'This decline in enrollment is not significant to adjust construction plans for building facilities, but is significant enough to limit plans for creating new programming for students or maintaining current programming beyond this budget year,” Wheeler said.

Open enrollment applications are being accepted until March 15, and will be reviewed in order of submission.

Open enrollment applications can be found at crprairie.org.

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