Cedar River Academy at Taylor Elementary is among the schools that the Cedar Rapids School Board voted to close during its April 27, 2026, meeting. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Change is coming to the Cedar Rapids Community School District, after the Board of Education voted on boundary changes and a “redesign” and consolidation that includes school closures and adding intermediate schools.

About 40 community members attended the School Board’s meeting on April 27, 2026, with eight members of the public speaking, compared to past meetings with a full house and dozens of people voicing their opposition to school closures.

All seven school board members voted unanimously for the boundary changes, which will go into effect for the 2027-2028 school year. Changes will be made to balance enrollment and create a “feeder” system throughout the district for elementary, intermediate, middle and high school boundaries.

Students attending what will become Wilson Elementary School in southwest Cedar Rapids, for example, would eventually attend Washington High School in the southeast quadrant, rather than Jefferson in southwest Cedar Rapids.

While the School Board voted unanimously for those changes, board member Laura Zimmerman voted against the larger measure that will close five elementary schools and Truman Early Learning Center.

Zimmerman said after the meeting that her dissenting vote was primarily due to the planned reconfiguration of Viola Gibson Elementary to an intermediate school for grades 5-6.

“I think we can still find better options for Area 3,” she said, while noting during the meeting that a charter elementary school is planned for that area of northeast Cedar Rapids.

Laura Zimmerman, at left, listens during the April 27, 2026, School Board meeting in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

The rest of the School Board voted for the redesign and consolidation measure, scheduled to go into effect for the 2027-2028 school year, which closes the following neighborhood elementary schools: Wright, Cedar River Academy at Taylor, Cleveland, Nixon and Grant, along with Truman Early Learning Center.

Changes to the district’s current school model will add three intermediate schools for fifth- to sixth-graders, with students in preschool through fourth grade attending elementary schools, and three middle schools for seventh and eighth grade, rather than the current sixth through eighth. All three high schools will be retained.

Wilson Middle School will become an elementary school under the plans, and Viola Gibson Elementary will become an intermediate school, along with Roosevelt and Franklin.

Taft, Harding and McKinley will remain middle schools.

Under the “feeder” system, students progress through schools with the same classmates through all of their school years.

While the district did not have a projected number of students who might be bused under the changes, staff noted that 3,960 students, or 28 percent of the district’s students, are currently bused.

School Superintendent Tawana Lannin said after the meeting that no decision has been made on what will happen to all of the school buildings that will close.

Costs savings will be realized mostly through staffing adjustments, rather than operational costs, such as electricity, heating and cooling, which range from $100,000 to $293,000 annually for each of the six schools. Just over $1.3 million total in annual operational cost savings are estimated, with more than $3.7 million in predicted savings in staffing adjustments, totaling just over $5 million annually for the six school closures.

Restroom modifications, adding a band/orchestra room and other changes at Viola Gibson are estimated at $250,000 to $400,000 to transform the elementary into an intermediate school, while adding playgrounds, flooring changes and other renovations to change Franklin, Roosevelt and Wilson middle schools into intermediate schools and an elementary school are projected to cost $1 million each.

Funding will be through the district’s physical plant and equipment levy, known as PPEL.

As soon as Tuesday, April 28, and through May 15, families can request an early choice permit for the 2026-2027 school year, which prioritizes requests for students to change schools they will attend, based on boundary changes, school closures and other factors.

Read more: School boundary changes solidify closures and view some of the meeting charts, below :