[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6059288,"mediaKeyId","3295314-2333df9799f055e415c1f404a8fc9611","parentId",3295314,"title","Teachers, family members and volunteers tell board about cramped classrooms, IEP breakdowns and a heat‑related incident","audioSeconds",859,"startMs",990000,"endMs",1849000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295314-2333df9799f055e415c1f404a8fc9611&start=990&end=1849","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295314-2333df9799f055e415c1f404a8fc9611/thumbnail_990000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6059288/Iowa/Teachers-family-members-and-volunteers-tell-board-about-cramped-classrooms-IEP-breakdowns-and-a-heatrelated-incident","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6059288-f0226665dad65badbf15322416a36b40/orig.mp4?Expires=1771110205&Signature=YhkD6h9~gZG0pPnxHKCwXOhp6uvpi8NxeIgba0hyiL9GA60scoJAyRNq4ZywX4SutXGBJ~W9OUL-kHpH8PWY1kX7Age2fACxKujqWUfdDjp-kjAS7gGBjHh-rqSNlM2EBfZEw8MEtGL7ZIJ4X8VYznP75EYxqOH0hTh7Vv~DR~tD9rd3pZgKBMJfgJZ9-k~1ngOG1KikVk4BlCBJmjGqF6Sg~RQw682iVJyjSkt9CuNjWgbCbEkmQe6pe9eovPKd45whxDS-PQRxB9hyjcfYhQt1q1up8dEcLjP0CGZi4B6cVT8FX4LivtIBzWFgmH~ACfwdbAUeu9rrICEqtbCUMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cedar Rapids Comm School District","date","2025-05-13T11:44:40Z","article","Several speakers during public comment at the Cedar Rapids Community School District board meeting on May 12 described building problems and lapses in services that they say affect student learning and safety.

Kim Knapp, who identified herself as a 20‑year district teacher with the last 10 years at Grant Elementary, described crowded classrooms, inadequate storage and staff space, plumbing and roof leaks, and a lack of indoor recess and elevator access. “Our Speech Pathologist currently uses a former food storage closet for a classroom,” Knapp said. She told the board some intervention staff share rooms “roughly 120 square feet to teach, which is the size of the smallest bedroom in your home,” and said the staff lounge “is the size of an en suite bathroom.” Knapp urged passing the proposed bond, saying, “Change is hard. It's not easy, but it's the right thing to do.”

Iris Strong, who said she is a prior substitute teacher, paraeducator and a grandmother of a student in the district, urged clearer documentation and accountability for special education services. Strong told the board she and her family have struggled to obtain a complete individualized education program (IEP) and accurate meeting notes, and she asked the board to “ensure that schools are held accountable for their timely and thorough implementations of their IEPs.” Strong said the family is seeking a review of her granddaughter’s IEP, a clear action plan and better communication.

Volunteer John Rostec recounted a recent incident at Washington High School in which several students suffered heat‑related distress during a choral performance. Rostec said volunteers handed out ice and opened doors until conditions improved, and he urged staff to plan climate control adjustments for events and notify district maintenance staff when large events could strain a room’s climate control.

Superintendent Dr. Grover addressed the board later in the agenda and noted a District Management Group (DMG) staffing study and review that will be considered under the consent agenda; he said the study will examine district systems for delivering special education and interventions and align with behavior supports and the district’s Department of Justice agreement. “This review will align with our behavior support initiatives. This comes at a very critical juncture, for us knowing that we are in year 2 of our DOJ agreement in regards to how we deliver special education services,” Grover said. He said funding for this review and support for special education services will come from the district’s instructional support levy.

Board members did not take formal action on the public comments during the allotted public comment time; the transcript shows the superintendent and staff will carry the concerns forward through the district’s planned DMG review and related administrative work. The public comment speakers were asked to provide names and addresses at the podium and were reminded the board cannot engage in back‑and‑forth during public comment under open‑meetings rules.

These remarks appeared during the public comment segment of the meeting; board members and staff later discussed the district’s ongoing review of special education systems and the forthcoming consent‑agenda item to consider the DMG study.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Meeting - May 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Several speakers during public comment at the May 12 Cedar Rapids Community School District board meeting described building problems and gaps in special education services that they say affect student learning and safety.","taxTitle","Cedar Rapids Comm School District, School Districts, Iowa","taxId",12924,"location","Iowa","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6059292,"Cedar Rapids school board approves bond petition language to send plan to voters",740,2905000,3645000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295314-2333df9799f055e415c1f404a8fc9611&start=2905&end=3645","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295314-2333df9799f055e415c1f404a8fc9611/thumbnail_2905000.jpg","/articles/6059292/Iowa/Cedar-Rapids-school-board-approves-bond-petition-language-to-send-plan-to-voters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6059292-c65e99668b28e574d717cc4ef3eb5f70/orig.mp4?Expires=1771110205&Signature=IMHq7q40R9Y6u98dILi4KmNHFTBCt-q3abF~UTBcftvX~-yo1H7JNpbB01VG56Ws-3zeQw5a0MYtPlqb1v4mbHMnoDht~LAri9gfuvNROIkvbklhej21G~I-wFS7tV9xC7657umsiK8-cLLcsjE-h3G6Cad6jeVbrRR~u~G-lnn1giDmKh9VpmHPBJf-B9df1QGXoPTxleOD~stDHTPQhOWwR0lXA-J14gnBGQkOtQiq3CnsMugDOiN~hDW8ROWB1kdCeqCMO5xmh92qzkoRAexWV6fgQ3T~s403knmhlDkqBwIxU7YtZbTcATjtEl2yGrG7jEYnDUQ4hdsd8P9atQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cedar Rapids Community School District Board of Education approved proposed bond petition language at its May 12 meeting, moving a revised facilities plan toward a November 4 ballot. The board approved the language by voice vote after presentations from district staff and local business leaders.

The vote sends to voters a plan developed by an 80-plus member task force and revised after multiple rounds of community feedback. The district and the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance presented independent survey results showing 61.8% support among likely voters — just above Iowa’s 60% threshold for bond referendums. The district estimates the tax impact at about $90 a year for a $200,000 home, or about $1.72 a week.

District staff framed the revised plan as a community-driven strategy to modernize aging buildings and improve student safety and access. “What we present to you tonight is truly a plan that was developed by the people of the Cedar Rapids Community School District,” Chad Schumacher said during the presentation. The plan focuses on renovations to McKinley, Wilson, Roosevelt and Kennedy schools rather than new construction, and targets improvements the task force identified as priorities.

Ron Corbett, vice president of economic development at the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, summarized a recent telephone survey of roughly 500 likely voters with a 3.5% margin of error, saying, “the support shows 61.8%.” Corbett cautioned the margin is narrow: “there's not a lot of wiggle room at 61.8% because in Iowa we need 60%.” He urged continued voter education between now and the election.

Board members and presenters described an extended community engagement process that included one-on-one interviews, neighborhood meetings, a 60-plus parent leaders group, and outreach to staff in every building directly affected. Superintendent Dr. Grover and district staff said the task force used building-condition data and community feedback to reshape the plan after a November 2023 bond failed.

The approved petition language calls for the district to collect signatures to place the measure on the ballot and makes clear the measure requires a 60% “yes” vote to pass. If the board’s approved language stands, the next steps are signature gathering and finalizing election mechanics ahead of the November 4 vote.

Board members praised the task force and district staff for the revision process, and the board president called for continued public education efforts. The board approved the petition language by voice vote; presenters said additional community meetings and building visits will continue through the summer.

Details to note for voters: the district presented an estimated household tax impact (about $90/year on a $200,000 home), the plan prioritizes renovations at four named schools, and outside polling showed roughly 61.8% support in a sample of ~500 respondents (3.5% margin of error).

The petition approval does not itself appropriate funds or start construction; it authorizes placing the bond question before voters and begins the signature and election process required by Iowa law.","The Cedar Rapids Community School District board voted to approve petition language for a revised facilities bond, setting the proposal for a November 4 ballot after task-force revisions and new community polling showed slim but sufficient support.","actionData","errors"]

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Teachers, family members and volunteers tell board about cramped classrooms, IEP breakdowns and a heat‑related incident

Cedar Rapids school board approves bond petition language to send plan to voters