Cedar Rapids bond task force unveils draft plan to renovate schools, realign feeder pattern; district to mail survey Feb. 10

Cedar Rapids Community School District officials and members of the bond task force described a draft bond plan on the district podcast that would renovate Wilson and McKinley middle schools, repurpose Franklin for alternative programming, and build a new North Side middle school intended to restore coherent feeder patterns and reduce student bus time.

The plan, explained by Chad Schumacher, CRCSD director of operations, is the product of an eight-month facilities review, outside architects and a task force of about 80 community members. "A bond essentially becomes a...loan against property taxes that the school asked the community to support," Schumacher said, adding that bond debt is typically paid back "over, essentially about 20 years." Joe Larson, host of the CRCSD Homeroom podcast, and task force member Yvette Creighton described outreach and the open process used to shape the proposal.

Why it matters: the district says the projects aim to equalize facilities across the city, address aging buildings and reduce transportation costs and time for students. Schumacher said the draft prioritizes a districtwide, K–12 review to provide "an equitable educational experience for all of our students across the district," and to touch all three high-school attendance areas from elementary through high school.

Key elements of the draft plan described on the podcast: - Convert Wilson Middle School into an elementary school and send Wilson students to Roosevelt Middle School; prepare Roosevelt to receive those students. - Renovate McKinley Middle School, including a small classroom addition, and move Franklin’s middle-school students into McKinley; repurpose the Franklin building for other programming including possible Metro programming and services for students who remain with the district until age 21. - Build a new middle school on the North Side to realign feeder patterns so students who begin together in elementary school remain with the same cohort through middle and high school in the Jefferson, Washington and Kennedy attendance areas. - Address high operating costs at the district’s Metro building by finding a more suitable facility for that program.

Schumacher and task force members framed transportation as a practical driver of the plan. The podcast cited average bus fleets of about 15 for many schools versus "30-something" buses used at Harding; Schumacher said relocating Harding would reduce the longest routes (some from the Palo area) and the number of buses needed.

Task force process and transparency: Schumacher said the district engaged architecture firms Shive Hattery and M A Plus and performed extensive facility walkthroughs, then presented data to a task force of more than 80 people starting in August. "We presented that information to a task force of 80 plus people and shared all that information with them," Schumacher said. Creighton said task force meetings included small-group discussions and that all presentations and data were posted on the district website for public review.

Next steps and timeline: the district will mail a survey to more than 60,000 registered voters on Feb. 10 and collect digital responses via a QR code and the district website. Schumacher said feedback will be compiled and presented to the Board of Education around March, at which point the board could be asked to approve a plan to place a bond referendum on the ballot. Schumacher described a timeline that includes signature gathering and a campaign period through August, with a planned public vote in November 2025.

Public debate and community engagement: hosts and guests said the task force intentionally included representatives from across neighborhoods and organizations and welcomed vigorous debate. Creighton said she joined as a parent because she wanted to contribute: "If you have suggestions and you want change and you see opportunity, you have to be a part of something to make that change happen." Schumacher said he expected and welcomed disagreement: "We knew we were inviting people that may not agree with us. And that's that's democracy. That's the way it should be."

What was not specified: the podcast did not present a total bond dollar figure or detailed project budgets. Schumacher described programmatic priorities and facility moves but did not state a bond amount or an exact tax impact. The district said it will present more details after compiling survey feedback.

The district emphasized that the final decision rests with voters. "This is a decision that our community is gonna make. It's not a decision that the district is going to make," Schumacher said. The district encouraged wide participation in the Feb. 10 survey to inform the Board’s March recommendation and any subsequent ballot measure.

Ending: the task force and district leaders framed the plan as an effort to modernize aging facilities, improve equity across attendance areas and reduce transportation burdens; formal proposals, budget numbers and a board recommendation are expected after the district compiles the survey results in March.