Survey finds 41% support for $210.6 million Cedar Rapids bond plan; district to refine proposal and hold more outreach

Cedar Rapids Community School District staff presented results at the April 7 special Board of Education meeting from a districtwide bond survey and a companion poll by the Economic Alliance. School Perceptions project manager Darren Sievers told the board the vendor received 7,850 responses and that the districtwide composite result for the proposed $210.6 million bond plan was 41% in favor, 15% undecided and 44% opposed.

Sievers said the School Perceptions approach seeks broad participation rather than a small random sample and reported a statistical margin of error of “plus or minus 1.13.” He gave a breakdown of support by stakeholder group: 52% of staff respondents said they would probably or definitely vote yes, 51% of parents said they would probably or definitely vote yes, and 36% of non‑parent/non‑staff respondents said they would probably or definitely vote yes.

District staff and consultants described the bond plan elements presented to respondents: renovation of McKinley, renovation of Wilson, a new middle school on the northeast side, Kennedy High School freshman academy and commons renovation, and additional work to prepare Roosevelt to receive students if other changes proceed. Staff said the plan’s estimated cost is approximately $210,600,000 and noted a projected long‑term operations savings figure presented to the task force and community; staff said the district could reclaim roughly $26,000,000 in PPEL funding for Roosevelt renovation if the bond passes as proposed.

The Economic Alliance poll produced different results: staff said the Alliance found roughly 55% of respondents likely or definitely to vote for a plan when asked additional, targeted questions; staff cited higher support when safety and ADA accessibility were presented as primary focus areas. Board members asked for further disaggregation of results by geography, age and respondent type; Sievers and district staff said they can provide additional cross‑tabs and a themed analysis of the roughly 2,000+ free‑form comments collected.

Board discussion and the consultants’ findings led staff to outline next steps: further focus groups with parents, teachers and neighborhood groups; refining the bond plan based on feedback; a board review on April 28 with potential selection of language on May 12; signature gathering and public information beginning May 13 and continuing through November 3 if the board advances a referendum; and a possible bond vote on November 4. Staff said they expect a community “yes” committee to form separately as a private advocacy group if the board places a question on the ballot.

Ending: Consultants and staff emphasized additional outreach to raise awareness among non‑parent voters, who make up the majority of registered voters in the district; the board directed staff to return with refined options and deeper analysis before any decision to place a referendum on the ballot.