Parents, teachers and students urge board to keep Johnson STEAM Academy open
Loading...
Summary
Dozens of JSA parents, staff and students told the Cedar Rapids Community School District board on Jan. 26 that closing Johnson STEAM Academy would cut preschool access, disrupt services for students with disabilities and derail recent academic gains; speakers asked the board to preserve the magnet program while the district studies longer‑term redesign models.
Dozens of parents, teachers and students urged the Cedar Rapids Community School District board on Monday to keep Johnson STEAM Academy open, saying the neighborhood magnet’s preschool, arts integration and wraparound services provide crucial stability for families who rely on the school.
Supporters of Johnson Steam Academy (JSA) — including teachers, the school magnet coordinator and student ambassadors — described recent academic gains and community services they said would be jeopardized by closure. Sarah Cosgrove, magnet coordinator at Johnson Steam Academy, told the board: “We are providing arts integrated social emotional learning every day in every classroom” and invited the board and public to see the school’s Feb. 6 program to judge its work firsthand.
Several speakers said JSA is more than instruction. Jenna Aubrey, a preschool teacher, warned that many preschool families lack transportation and that closing JSA would remove access to free breakfast and lunch, eight‑hour safe supervision and consistent early‑childhood supports. “These children need access to equal opportunities,” she said.
Teachers and staff described measurable improvements at JSA and asked the board to consider the human and equity impacts of closure. Kim Fuqua, an instructional coach at JSA, cited reading‑score gains and reductions in office referrals and said those improvements are the result of “three years of stable leadership, strong relationship building, and fostering a school culture that engages and empowers every student.” Colby Kelly, an engagement specialist and parent, said office referrals and behavior supports have dropped and called the school “a pillar and beacon of hope in our community.”
Speakers across the public‑comment period urged the board to weigh more than facilities: commenters asked for clear metrics on staffing and capacity, the data underlying cuts, transportation impacts for displaced families and the effect on special‑education services. Several asked the district to publish who is leaving the system and why, a point Denise Bridges summarized: “This year alone, more than 600 students left our district.”
Board members did not act on any closure decisions at the work session. The board limited public comment to two minutes per speaker, thanked participants for a respectful session and recessed for a 10‑minute break before hearing presentations from a Community Coalition and district executive leaders. The district plans a formal survey on the three conceptual models presented and will report results to the board at its Feb. 9 regular meeting.
