C.R. bond would bring transformative changes

Twenty-three years ago, my wife and I had just graduated from Coe College and were looking forward to starting our lives together here in Cedar Rapids. The year we got married was also the last time the Cedar Rapids Community School District passed a bond referendum to build a new school, Viola Gibson Elementary School.

The year 2000 seems like a lifetime ago, and we have seen a lot of changes since then. Today, we are the proud parents of two boys, one in college and the other soon to graduate high school. We have established our careers and worked hard to own a home.

Significant changes have also taken place in our city and country. We’ve experienced substantial technological advances, survived natural disasters and a pandemic, and experienced recessions and terrorist attacks. With all of these changes, it's not hard to understand that education, teaching methods, and the school environment have also changed.

As board president of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, my responsibility, along with my fellow board members, is to set the district's strategic plan. We are constantly reminded of our paramount duty by the question inscribed on the back of our name placards- "How will this decision impact students?" Our utmost priority must be aligned with the best interests of our students, future generations, staff, and society.

The Cedar Rapids Community School District is poised to bring forth transformative and needed changes that will positively impact our students, staff, and the broader community. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the citizens of Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, Palo, and Robins for their invaluable support. Your signatures and diligent efforts have placed the bond referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot. On this date, we can decide the next steps for the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

While it is not my place to tell you how to vote, I want all district constituents to know that the board of directors and I are immensely grateful to have the privilege of letting the community decide our next steps. Additionally, it is vital to know the factual information about ballot language. The bond referendum requires a payment of $2.70 per $1,000 of taxable property tax, which amounts to $220 million. With this funding, CRCSD will:

● Acquire new land and build a state-of-the-art sixth-through-eighth-grade middle school that will be a part of the Kennedy school feeder system. To ensure that our students receive the best possible education, we also will be making significant renovations to Franklin Middle School;

● Expansion and enhancement of our vocational and technical education programs by adding career and technical education facilities to three of our high schools to provide our students with invaluable hands-on training and opportunities to earn college credits or certifications while still in high school;

● Improve our students' extracurricular experiences, we will be installing brand-new turf practice fields at three high schools. These fields will provide safer and more versatile playing surfaces for sports teams, marching bands, PE classes, and other activities.

● Renovation of the Kennedy cafeteria and kitchen to better serve our students' needs.

● Updates to Metro High School's gym to create a more conducive environment for physical education and extracurricular activities.

As parents, grandparents, neighbors, and business leaders, it's our collective responsibility to ensure that our schools provide a safe and secure environment that allows our students to learn and grow. We shouldn’t allow politics to divide us regarding the future of our children and our city. Our children are watching as we decide whether their education is a priority.

David Tominsky is president of the Cedar Rapids Community School Board.