Cedar Rapids school district hosts facilities meetings

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids Community School District began a journey last fall to re-imagine, re-envision and reinvest in students and schools through a Facilities Master Planning process.

A Committee of parents, students, employees, business and industry leaders and other community members has been meeting since September to consider such factors as changes in teaching and learning, the age of schools, an ever-increasing pressure on funding to support facility needs and improvements, and the changing location of families within the community.

The public provided feedback in December through discussion sessions and an online survey. That information helped the committee further define its work. The group is now ready to update the community with public input sessions from 6 to 8 p.m. April 11-13 at the following locations:

l Tuesday, April 11 - Arthur Elementary School, 2630 B Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids.

l Wednesday, April 12 - Van Buren Elementary School, 2525 29th St. SW, Cedar Rapids.

l Thursday, April 13 - Nixon Elementary School, 200 Nixon Drive, Hiawatha.

An online survey focused on this work is to be available April 18-28 at cr.k12.ia.us.

Information from the spring input sessions and survey will further clarify the work before a recommendation of possible next steps is made to the Board of Education in May.