Bond Referendum Move Forward | |
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The proposed $220 million bond referendum has taken another step forward. The proposed bond will address critical infrastructure needs and facility improvements across the district, ensuring ALL students have access to a high-quality education. These investments will help to give the district a competitive edge in attracting and retaining students and staff while also helping to develop a future-ready workforce.
The funds generated through the proposed bond referendum will be used to fund Phase 1 of the district’s comprehensive Facilities Master Plan, which will address several key priorities, including:
- New land acquisition
- A new 6th-8th grade middle school
- Career and technical education additions to three high schools
- New turf fields at three high schools
- Kennedy cafeteria/kitchen renovations
- Updates to Metro High School’s gym
- Renovations for Franklin Middle School.
With the bond language approved by the school board, the community will now need to collect 6,319 signatures for the petition by September 22nd in order to have the bond referendum placed on the November 7, 2023, ballot. This bond would be the district’s first since 2000, or 23 years.
These petitions are available at each of our school buildings during normal business hours. To sign the petition, you must reside in the Cedar Rapids School District and be eligible to vote. Signing the petition does not indicate you are for or against the bond but rather that you want it to appear on the November ballot for the public to vote on.
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New Electric School Buses Unveiled | |
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On Thursday, August 10th, the district held a public ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the arrival of the district’s first all-electric school buses. These will also be the first all-electric school buses to operate in the State of Iowa.
The electric buses have zero tailpipe emissions reducing exposure to pollutants and toxins, meaning cleaner air for our students, drivers, and communities. They also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost half when compared to their diesel counterpart. The electric drivetrain is also very quiet compared to traditional buses, making them a quieter and safer ride for our students and bus staff. Over their lifetime, they will help reduce the need for fossil fuels and significantly reduce maintenance costs, promising substantial cost savings for the district.
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Back-to-School is Coming
The start of the 2023-24 school year is only 12 days away, and we are eagerly looking forward to the return of our students and families! Make sure to check the district’s back-to-school website to ensure your student is ready to return to school. The site contains supply lists, lunch menus, back-to-school open house schedules, important reminders, and much more.
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School Meal Benefits
Cedar Rapids Community School District participates in the Community Eligibility Provisions (CPE) Program. This government program offers free meals for students in qualifying schools. Six schools in the district do NOT qualify for this federal program. However, parents/guardians can still apply for free and reduced student meals. The 6 schools that do not qualify for the program are Maple Grove Elementary, Kennedy High School, Pierce Elementary, Taft Middle School, Viola Gibson Elementary, Washington High School, and West Willow Elementary School. To apply for free or reduced meal fees at these schools, you must complete the Social Economic Survey and release agreement through Annual Verification to determine if you are eligible.
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| For the 2023-2024 school year, the 26 CRCSD schools participating in the federal program and will provide free meals for all of their students are - Arthur, Cleveland, Cedar River Academy, Erskine, Garfield, Grant, Grant Wood, Harrison, Hiawatha, Hoover, Johnson STEAM Academy, Kenwood Leadership Academy, Madison, Nixon, Van Buren, Wright, Harding, Franklin, McKinley STEAM Academy, Roosevelt CCBA, Wilson, Jefferson, Metro, City View, Polk Alternative, and Truman Early Childhood Center. | |
New School Year and Beginnings
It’s been a busy week around the district as staff get ready for the start of another school year. On Monday, CRCSD administrators came together for professional development and to hear the district’s new strategic plan from Superintendent Dr. Grover. Coaches from around the district also kicked off their first practices of the fall sports season on Monday. Wednesday, CRCSD staff and administrators welcomed over 130 new teachers to the district for the beginning of their onboarding and professional development week. We can’t wait to see the amazing things they will bring to our district this year.
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Bus Reminder for All Students
As we prepare for the start of the new school year, our Transportation Department is working hard to finalize bus routes and student pick-up and drop-off times. To help with this process, we are asking for your assistance. If your student rode the school bus last year, the transportation department is already planning for them to ride it again this year. If that is NOT the case, we ask that you please communicate that to your student’s school office as soon as possible. If your student just needs busing only before school or only after school, and not both, please communicate that as well. This information is essential to help us better plan bus routes for the new school year.
The Transportation Department plans to release student bus transportation details on Thursday, August 17th, and this information will be posted in your student's section of the Infinite Campus portal and in the StopFinder parent app.
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Middle Schoolers First Day of School Change
Student’s first day of school will be August 23rd; however, if your student is in 7th or 8th grade, their first day will be August 24th. Why, you may ask? This will allow our up-and-coming 6th-grade students to have the entire middle school building to themselves on August 23rd, hopefully easing their transition to middle school. This will allow them the opportunity to navigate the hallways, meet their teachers, figure out their schedules, and everyone's favorite - have time to get their locker combination just right.
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Your High School fall sports teams are back in action across CRCSD! Practices are underway for football, volleyball, and cross-country. Please click here to check out the teams from across Jefferson, Kennedy, and Washington High Schools gearing up for the season on our Flickr page. | |
CRCSD welcomed its new class of teachers to the district on Wednesday, August 9th. New teacher orientation runs a full four days. Please click here to see the new faces in our new teacher back-to-school gallery on our Flickr page. | |
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Non-Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of the Cedar Rapids Community School District not to discriminate in educational programs and/or activities on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity, socioeconomic status, national origin, religion, disability, age (except for permitting/prohibiting students to engage in certain activities) or genetic information and in employment opportunities on the basis of age, race, creed, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Darius Ballard, Chief of Human Resources, Educational Leadership and Support Center, 2500 Edgewood Rd NW, Cedar Rapids, IA, (319) 558-2000.
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