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

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…