Expand Kirkwood's reach

The Gazette

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A proposed Kirkwood Community College regional education center on the University of Iowa's Oakdale campus is a groundbreaking collaboration. It's one of three new regional education centers, and a main campus building upgrade, that will be built if voters approve a $46.6 million bond issue on Sept. 13. We think it warrants support.

The measure would collect 20 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation over 15 years, replacing an expiring Kirkwood bond issue - not increasing the rate.

The centers would offer courses for adults while providing college-level courses and advanced high school curriculum for area high school students. The center at Oakdale would be the country's first collaboration between a university, community college and regional K-12 schools.

Passing the bond measure would allow Kirkwood to expand its successful pilot project, the Jones Regional Educational Center, which offers technical education, higher level science and math courses to area high school and college-aged students.

It would allow students at nearby high schools to save tuition money and begin earning college credit as soon as they're academically ready, while saving high schools the expense of paying for specialized equipment and staff.

Expanding those opportunities makes sense.

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