Cedar Rapids Schools has been hanging a lantern on its needs. On large district tours, school employees have pointed to non-ADA-compliant bathrooms and elevators, aged gym facilities, insufficient career and technical classroom space, flooded football fields and small cafeterias requiring students to eat well after noon.
It’s been a long time since the last bond issue. And the school points out that its millage rate — the tax percentage property owners contribute to the district — is one of the lowest tax levy rates in Linn County, falling behind Linn-Mar schools.
Enter the $220 million bond referendum on next Tuesday’s ballot, which would allow the district to issue general obligation bonds to improve its physical infrastructure. It would also raise the tax levy from $14.67 to $17.37 per $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. Here’s the district breakdown of construction costs that fall under this November’s bond:
- Land acquisition for a new northside middle school - $2.3 million
- Construction of a new 1,200-student northside middle school - $105 million
- Renovation and addition for 800-student Franklin Middle School - $73 million
- New space for career and technical education (CTE) classes at three high schools - $6 million
- Adding turf field to three high school locations - $8.6 million
- Renovation of Kennedy High School’s cafeteria and kitchen - $2.5 million
- Metro gym updates: $850,000
- Other costs (20% allowance) - $39 million
- Total project cost: $237,515,568
If this November’s referendum and a sister $225 million 2029 referendum pass, the district said all buildings in the district would be new or recently renovated by 2037.
The Say Yes to Invest campaign has already cleared one large hurdle: gathering 7,000 signatures necessary to get on the ballot. Now, it must clear another: get 60% support from voters.
“You know, if we were working towards just a majority, the job would be easier, but when you have to get beyond that 50% and get people to 60%, it takes a little more communication, a little extra work,” said campaign chair Scott Drzycimski.
School Board member Dexter Merschbrock opposes the bond. In addition to conerns about a tax increase, he says if the bond had been the three CTE additions or the new cafeteria at Kennedy, he’d be on board.
“I’d fund that tomorrow,” he said. “They could be funded through other sources. But they’re being used to ask for the other half,” the half that would locate and construct the new middle school and the renovation of Franklin.
Say Yes campaign contracts with state representative-connected firm
A referendum is not easy to pass — doubly so when a 60% threshold is required and there are just a few months to reach it.
“We needed a partner who could help us, that, one, had experience on campaigns, which none of our team has had tons of. And then, two, somebody who kind of knew where to best put our funds that we were raising and where to invest those,” Drzycimski told IPR News.
According to reports, Say Yes to Invest went to Cedar Rapids-based Sage Strategies. The campaign disclosed that it hired Sage to help the campaign clear a quick four-week signature drive. Sage was then also was hired to organize an ongoing door-knocking, social media and mailer campaign.
Among the many officials who have endorsed the campaign is state Rep. Sami Scheetz. He was among five area Democrats who represent part of the district who penned an Oct. 14 column in the Cedar Rapids Gazette: “Education needs change. Our communities evolve. And our schools must do the same. That’s why we strongly urge our fellow citizens to vote yes on the Cedar Rapids Community School District bond issue.”
Scheetz, who attended Cedar Rapids Schools, was elected to the state legislature last year. He noted in a 2022 disclosure form that he is a partner at Sage Strategies. The firm received two large checks totaling $11,000 on Sept. 7 and Oct. 4. IPR News asked Scheetz if his paid work on the campaign influenced his support for the bond.
“As a proud product of Cedar Rapids public schools, I will always support initiatives to fully fund our public education system — whether that is at the State Capitol or here at home in Linn County,” Scheetz said. “While Sage Strategies has contacted voters on behalf of the Vote Yes campaign, I have been supportive of the bond referendum since July of this year. I have supported this referendum as an elected official and in my private capacity as a resident of Cedar Rapids who will one day have children in the Cedar Rapids Community School District.”
Cedar Rapids School Board President David Tominsky and Vice-President Cindy Garlock confirmed that prior to the Say Yes campaign, Scheetz had reached out looking to support the campaign. Tominsky said the two had discussed the school infrastructure needs prior to Scheetz being elected.
“No, I just think there’s no way. Sami has always been supportive of the school district and certainly what’s in the best interest of schools,” Tominsky said. “I think he’s been looking for ways to be supportive of those things the entire time that I’ve known him.”
An IPR News review of campaign finance reports also found that about half of the funds raised by Say Yes To Invest came from Cedar Rapids’ construction industry. The projects funded by the bond would potentially be lucrative construction projects for some contributors.
“They understand that we need to be investing and doing major investments and renovations in the buildings we are going to keep and building these new ones. And so obviously, there are benefits in them being able to do some of the work,” Drzycimski said. “But I think more than anything else they recognize the needs of our schools in Cedar Rapids.”
