Wiley family donates $100,000 to Cedar Rapids schools foundation to create teacher endowment

On Sept. 11, 2025, the Future Ready Today podcast announced that the Twyla and Larry Wiley Endowment Fund donated $100,000 to the Cedar Rapids Community Schools Foundation and contributed children's books to the district's little libraries. The hosts described Twyla Wiley as a former district elementary teacher and said the endowment is intended to honor her legacy by funding resources for teachers and opportunities for students. Podcast hosts highlighted traditions associated with Twyla Wiley — such as students earning one of her homemade beanies and gathering for reading time — and said the endowment will sustain those kinds of classroom resources over time. The episode noted the gift and donations as a legacy contribution intended to benefit future generations of students and teachers. Discussion only: the podcast provided an informational announcement about the gift and the intent of the endowment; no foundation board action, grant terms, or distribution plan was provided on the recording. Direction/next steps: the hosts encouraged listeners to learn more; the episode did not specify any next-step administrative actions or funding allocations tied to the gift. Outcome: announcement of donation; no formal district or foundation action reported in the episode.