116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
New Year Message to Cedar Rapids: Resilience. Redesign. Results.
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We will take intentional steps to right-size our system and design a district built for long-term excellence.
Just before winter break, I attended the Jefferson Holiday Dinner, where families, students, staff, and community members gathered to share a meal and connect. The cafeteria glowed with lights, but the real light came from the people: toddlers in winter scarves, high school volunteers beside their teachers, and families laughing together.
After dinner, families explored robotics demonstrations and student engineering projects under a sign reading:“The Future Is Here at Jefferson.” Watching elementary students alongside teenagers, eyes wide at inventions they dreamed of building, reminded me the future isn’t distant—it is here, in our students. This moment captures why public education exists: to open possibilities and shape human potential.
It set the tone for 2026.
Students at the Center of Our Story
Across Cedar Rapids Community Schools, our students are shaping the region’s future.
At Washington High, freshmen presented 3DE projects with regional industry partners, demonstrating confidence, communication, and problem-solving.
At Kennedy, “Consider Kennedy” night highlighted advanced coursework, arts, robotics, athletics, and mentorship, showing how students envision purposeful futures.
At City View, students partnered with the University of Iowa on a design challenge.
At Metro High School, students closed the semester with a student-led pop-up shop at NewBo City Market. They learned business design, customer engagement, and entrepreneurship by doing.
And at Jefferson, robotics demonstrations inspired younger children and strengthened our STEM identity districtwide.
These five schools, each with a distinct identity, show us a single truth: Cedar Rapids students are not waiting for opportunity. They are creating it.
Resilience. Redesign. Results.
As we move into 2026, these words guide our commitments.
Resilience defines us: despite enrollment decline, building needs, staffing challenges, and evolving student needs, our classrooms remain full of ambition, creativity, and progress.
Redesign is our charge. We will responsibly right-size our system, aligning facilities, budget, and staffing with enrollment, while protecting programs, supporting students, and strengthening learning opportunities. This work will be data-driven, community-informed, and paced thoughtfully to honor all impacted.
We are approaching this work with humility and openness to input from everyone invested in our future. Innovative ideas and honest feedback are encouraged, and we welcome these voices because we know we are stronger together. With this shared effort, we can restore our storied district to its rightful place as the best place to learn and grow in Iowa.
Results are our expectation. We will:
- Strengthen literacy and math achievement
- Expand advanced coursework
- Elevate arts and athletics
- Enhance behavioral supports
- Improve attendance
- Design strong feeder patterns that support identity and belonging
Students will experience these results daily through richer coursework, clearer pathways, and more individualized support. Our seven-year strategic plan will outline how we build sustainable finances, modernize learning spaces, strengthen outcomes, and expand opportunities—all centered on students.
A Unified Path Forward
Public education remains one of America’s greatest promises. It’s where children discover who they are, what they love, and how they can contribute to their community. Cedar Rapids continues that legacy through innovation, transparency, and collective effort.
I’m grateful for our educators who teach, mentor, coach, feed, guide, and inspire students every day. I’m grateful for families who ask questions, provide insight, and help shape our next steps. And I’m grateful for a community that invests in children.
This year, we will take intentional steps to right-size our system and design a district built for long-term excellence. Every decision will be student-centered. Every dollar will be aligned to learning. Every classroom will remain focused on achievement and belonging.
The work ahead is bold, but so are we. Together, we will turn resilience into redesign and redesign into results. Our students will lead us forward.
—Dr. Tawana Lannin
Superintendent, Cedar Rapids Community School District
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