CRCSD's Board of Education is entering the final stages of its search for a new district superintendent. In alignment with the candidate selection timeline, the Board completed the second round of candidate interviews this week.

The Board has scheduled a closed session to be held at 4:00 pm on Thursday, January 26, with a public session to be held at 5:00 pm. An announcement is expected to be made during the public session at 5:00 pm.

Cedar Rapids Opera Performs for Elementary Schools

Elementary students at ten of our elementary schools watched a newly commissioned piece from the Cedar Rapids Opera company called Charlie and the Wolf modeled from classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. The setting is a modern day classroom where students learn about classical and jazz rhythm, harmony, melody, and improvisation. The one-of-a-kind piece also celebrates the uniqueness of each and serves as a reminder that everyone is playing with the same notes; we just interpret them differently!

“It is of extreme importance that we continue to provide top notch, high quality arts experiences for our students,” says Emily Barnes, elementary music teacher and CRCSD elementary content lead. “An opera performance is certainly one!” 

Our crews captured the action at Garfield Elementary. The rest of our elementary schools will have the opportunity to view the performance next school year. This children's opera is composed by David Ragland, Jr., with lyrics by Mary McCallum.

Kennedy Jazz Bands Journey to the Big Easy

Kennedy Jazz Band students traveled to New Orleans and performed in the heart of the Big Easy, taking in the culture of jazz's birthplace. Students performed at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe, which is in the heart of the French Quarter. Kennedy student, Amelia, said meeting Doreen Ketchens, a famous clarinetist who plays on the streets of New Orleans was a highlight of her trip. Kennedy Jazz Band Director, Stephanie Williamson’s highlight was the culture. 

“I was most surprised about how ingrained jazz is in the people’s lives down there. Like all those musicians in the Preservation Hall, the trumpet player, whose father’s, father’s, father’s, grandfather, created the place. That just blew my mind. They were just born into the culture.”

Reminder Snow Day Make-up

CRCSD students and staff will now report to school on Monday, February 27th as the make-up date for January 4th. If there are additional “no school days” from this point on, those make-up dates will be added to the end of the school year.

Magnet School Lottery Now Open

The magnet school lottery for the 2023-24 school year is now open. Online applications for the magnet school lottery will be accepted until Friday, Feb. 24, at 11:59 p.m. Learn more about our magnet schools

McKinley STEAM Academy

McKinley STEAM Academy - where knowledge is created, dreams take hold, and students lead the way! Students at MSA can find and follow their passions through a Career Exploratory framework including a new emphasis on the Medical Sciences, an enhanced focus on the Performing Arts, and STEAM integrated core instruction.