Future of Hiawatha, Nixon elementary schools uncertain

UPDATE: The Cedar Rapids Community School District announced Friday plans to bring a $312 million general obligation bond referendum to voters on March 7, to finance secondary school building projects.

HIAWATHA — With the future of some Cedar Rapids elementary schools uncertain, officials with the City of Hiawatha want to see the district maintain both Hiawatha and Nixon elementary schools, which are within Hiawatha’s city boundaries.

Hiawatha City Manager Kim Downs — who is set to become deputy city manager in Marion next month — said the City of Hiawatha is expecting to see 1,000 new “rooftops” built over the next three years. She expects that will attract hundreds of new families to the community.

At a ribbon cutting last month for Hiawatha’s new Turtle Creek Park, which will serve new housing developments in that area, Downs said she believes Cedar Rapids Community School District officials are taking a “serious look” at the future of schools in Hiawatha.

“One thing we wouldn’t want to see happen is either of those schools leaving Hiawatha,” Downs said. “Having schools in close proximity is so important. It’s easy for kids to be able to walk back and forth to school and home and is a quality of life piece like city parks, bike trails and affordable housing.”

The Cedar Rapids Community School District began work on its facility master plan in 2017. A draft document from 2018 included construction of 10 new elementary schools with the capacity for 600 students, three renovated elementary schools — Grant, Hiawatha and Viola Gibson — and the closure of eight elementary schools including Nixon.

The future of Hiawatha and Nixon Elementary schools remains uncertain.

The district put a “pause” on this plan a few years ago to review enrollment, population, residential development, and condition of facilities data to guide recommendations for the school board.

Jon Galbraith, director of operations for Cedar Rapids schools said in an email to The Gazette that other elements of the facilities master plan have not been decided.

“The ‘pauses’ approved by the board of directors along the way give us flexibility to determine future needs based on enrollment, population changes and condition of facilities,” Galbraith said.

During a school board meeting on Feb. 28, district officials presented an update on the facility master plan, including possible projects after the 2024-25 school year. According to board documents, Hiawatha Elementary’s population growth will have “clearer projections” in the future, and Nixon Elementary needs facility work.

Hiawatha Elementary had an enrollment of 279, and Nixon Elementary had an enrollment around 304 K-5th grade students during the 2021-22 school year, according to board documents.

“I think it’s important they maintain both schools,” said Downs, citing a possibility that the district may rebuild Nixon Elementary near Turtle Creek Park, which is located at 2915 Fitzroy Rd. “Things the Cedar Rapids Community School District does here in Hiawatha is absolutely economic development for us.”

Patrick Parsley, Hiawatha community development director, said the population growth in the city should increase the potential for the district maintaining school facilities in Hiawatha.

Hiawatha is a growing area with variety that will create more sustainability than other areas of Eastern Iowa, with single and multifamily housing developments planned, Parsley said.

As a part of that plan, the Cedar Rapids district constructed and opened West Willow Elementary School for the 2021-22 school year, replacing Coolidge Elementary. It was the first new school built in the district in almost 20 years. Maple Grove Elementary School will open to students Tuesday, replacing Jackson Elementary School, 1300 38th St NW, Cedar Rapids.

Schools are being renamed as a part of a district effort to steer away from names that could be associated with a racist history. President Calvin Coolidge, for instance, oversaw the enactment of several racist policies during his tenure.

New elementary schools are expected to lower operational costs for the district and address uneven distribution of resources.

The next elementary school to be built will be on the annex of Arthur Elementary School, 2630 B Ave. NE. Arthur and Garfield elementary school attendance areas will be combined.

Harrison and Madison elementary school attendance zones also will be combined by fall 2025. District officials are still considering two options for how to do this: renovate the existing Harrison Elementary building, 1310 11th St. NW, or build on the property of Madison Elementary, 1341 Woodside Dr. NW.

The elementary school work has been funded by SAVE — Secure an Advanced Vision for Education — an existing statewide sales tax allocated to school districts based on certified enrollment.

While the district currently is focused on building new and repurposing existing elementary schools, officials are in discussion about the future of the district’s middle and high schools.

The Cedar Rapids Community School District is expected to go to voters in March 2023 to request approval of a general obligation bond referendum to finance $312 million in secondary school building projects. Recommendations on the secondary facilities master plan are expected to be presented to the school board this fall.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com