Cedar Rapids schools to cut teachers, based on enrollment

CEDAR RAPIDS — Up to seven teachers could be cut from Washington High School under the Cedar Rapids school district’s staffing model, leaving families and students to question if the curriculum and programs they love are on the chopping block.

During the almost five-hour school board meeting Monday, the Cedar Rapids school board reviewed the complexities of Iowa school finance and discussed the district’s proposed property tax levy — which could increase for the first time in more than a decade.

School leaders, however, say initial staffing allocations — based on each building’s enrollment — could change.

Darius Ballard — the district’s chief of human resources who will return as principal at Washington High this spring — said schools have supplemental dollars they can spend to “buy back” positions, especially in areas of high-quality instruction, behavioral support and community needs.

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“Schools have the ability to make that determination about what they’re going to spend their funds on,” Ballard said. “It could be they’re going to choose teachers. They could be choosing support staff that are going to be handling behaviors. It could be additional clerical staff. They have that autonomy.”

During the school board meeting Monday, more than a dozen families and students shared why they chose the high school over other public and private school options. They voiced concerns that reduced staffing would impact the number of Advanced Placement and foreign language classes, social studies and science electives and fine arts programs.

Washington is the smallest traditional high school in the district, serving around 1,070 students. Kennedy is the largest at 1,620 students. Jefferson High School has 1,420 students.

Mira Gibbons, a sophomore at Washington High, said reducing the number of teachers at her school “directly impacts me and students like me.” She said although she doesn’t want to leave the Cedar Rapids school district, she toured Iowa City West High School on Monday because of their “robust selection of AP classes and strong music programs.”

“I don’t want to move or commute to attend high school somewhere else, and I shouldn’t have to choose between staying in my community and being prepared for the future I aspire to,” Gibbons said.

“I’m an ambitious learner, and I rely on AP courses and teachers to challenge me,” Gibbons said. “These classes are not extras. They push me to think critically, manage rigorous workloads and think at a higher level. … If AP courses are reduced, I will not be able to take the courses I need to compete for admission to a highly selective college.”

Cedar Rapids district’s Superintendent Tawana Lannin said hearing about Washington’s positive impact on students left her “choked up.”

“It was eye-opening and heart-opening to me,” Lannin said. “We want the same things: More opportunities for our students. We want them to have Advanced Placement classes. We truly understand how the arts impact our students.”

Why cut staff?

Staffing cuts are part of a $12.9 million reduction in spending of $12.9 million. The Cedar Rapids school board last month unanimously approved a resolution authorizing administration to implement the approved cost-saving measures for the 2026-27 school year.

As a part of those cuts, 33 teachers could be cut reduced through attrition based on declining enrollment, a cost savings of $2.8 million.

Board documents from Dec. 5, 2025, show that seven teachers are projected to be cut from Washington High under a staffing model the district adopted last year. Other reductions could include:

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School board member Kaitlin Byers said she sees a “steep disconnect” in the district’s new staffing model — which was first implemented last year — from the “human impact” of financial decisions.

“These cuts are catastrophic to buildings that already are working at a bare minimum,” Byers said.

If the per-pupil state aid is set at a 2 percent increase — the bill (Senate File 2201) is awaiting Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature — the Cedar Rapids school district’s property tax levy would be $13.98 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. This is an increase of 33 cents from the current property tax rate of $13.65.

The district also anticipates joining about 200 other Iowa school districts in adopting a “budget guarantee,” which ensures districts with declining enrollment receive at least 101 percent of prior funding while preventing property tax increases that would otherwise be levied locally. As proposed, the cost of the budget guarantee would shift from property taxpayers to the state, directing an additional $42.2 million to districts with declining enrollment.

School closings

The Cedar Rapids district still is exploring how to cut an additional $6 million from its annual budget by closing and consolidating schools. Earlier this month, the school board advanced two school models to be studied for viability before a final decision is made in April.

The intermediate school model would create schools for fifth- and sixth-graders. The middle school model would create schools for fifth- through eighth-graders. Changes would not begin to be implemented until the fall of 2027.

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