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

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…