Cedar Rapids schools that are precincts to increase Election Day security

CEDAR RAPIDS — Security will be increased Tuesday at six schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District that serve as polling places on Election Day.

The Linn-Mar and Iowa City districts have chosen not to have school on Election Day to accommodate increased traffic at the schools that were listed by county auditors as precinct sites.

Cedar Rapids district spokeswoman Heather Butterfield said the district wants students in the classroom as much as possible, and that includes Election Day. Hosting precincts in public schools — required by law since they are taxpayer-funded facilities — also is an opportunity for students to see civic engagement in action.

“We see it as an incredible learning opportunity for them to be able to connect what they’re learning about in the classroom around elections to real life,” said Butterfield, adding that one of the district’s goals is for students to be engaged in the community and registered voters upon graduation.

“Our hope is that these kids are growing up, seeing voting taking place, seeing the community come together to make decisions, and when they turn 18, they register to vote and maybe even return to their school as a polling location to take part in that civic engagement,” Butterfield said.

The Linn County Auditor’s Office will station a sheriff’s deputy at each of the six schools as an “additional layer of security,” Butterfield said.

The Cedar Rapids schools serving as precincts are Wright Elementary, Maple Grove Elementary, Erskine Elementary, West Willow Elementary, Cleveland Elementary and Washington High.

The district also canceled evening activities Tuesday with the exception of before-and after-school care provided by Champions.

Linn County Auditor Joel Miller said elections officials are required by law to consider government buildings as precincts first because they are taxpayer-funded and do not cost the county additional dollars. Precinct locations must be compliant with the most recent requirements from the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure accessibility. This rules out many school buildings that were compliant when they were built but no longer under today’s standards, Miller said.

Miller said he wished districts wouldn’t hold school on Election Day to “free up additional schools to use as polling places” and reduce security concerns. He estimated 1,500 people could pass through any given precinct.

“It’s even more important when parents show up with their kids to vote,” Miller said. “It’s one thing for a government teacher to talk about voting, but the most impressionable way to get students involved and engaged is by students leading by example and exercising their civic obligation to vote in the election,” he said.

“Linn-Mar took the wise route and decided to have in-service days on Nov. 4 and 5,” he said.

Linn-Mar spokeswoman Renee Nelson said this is the first year the district has changed its calendar to accommodate Election Day.

Four buildings — Excelsior Middle, Indian Creek Elementary, Boulder Peak Intermediate and Linn Grove Elementary — are precinct sites, as opposed to just one building used as a precinct in years’ past.

Monday and Tuesday will be staff professional learning days and non-attendance days for students in the Linn-Mar district.

“This change allows us to limit student presence in our buildings during a time when the voting and general public have wider, more unfettered access to our buildings,” Nelson said.

Iowa City district spokeswoman Kristin Pedersen said this is the third year the district has not held classes on Election Day.

“We made this decision as most of our schools serve as precinct locations,” she said.

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