CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Two teachers, concerned about the Cedar Rapids Community School District’s “right-sizing” efforts, were among speakers during the March 31, 2025, School Board meeting.
Chris Rolwes and Kevin Darrow, both teachers at Jefferson High School, asked how the board will address new requirements for the upcoming school year in courses such as world history and biology, when no full-time personnel would be hired to teach those subjects.
“There is still no clear plan for staffing these additional sections,” said Rolwes, a Jefferson social studies teacher who also raised concerns for at-risk students at Metro High School. “Any changes must be carefully considered to avoid unintended consequences that could push more students through the cracks.”
The board gave preliminary approval during its meeting to move ahead with the right-sizing plan that includes removing 6 percent of its staff — about 78 jobs — as it faces a $12 million budget deficit.
Some staff reductions will be through attrition, while some personnel will be asked to move to other positions and some ultimately could be fired, officials have said.
“The District must face difficult decisions to reduce the cost of its total workforce,” the agenda item noted, adding that during the next month, staff will be notified of the changes. The final staffing changes will be brought to the board at a later date this school year.
Rolwes questioned the $450,000 spent by the district to hire a consultant, District Management Group, to perform the staffing analysis, and $523,000 for new administrative positions, including in communications, a director of brand communication and more — totaling nearly $1 million in expenses — while no new teaching positions will be added.
School Superintendent Tawana Grover said later during the meeting that her administrative offices will be subject to an 11 percent staff reduction as part of the overall plan.
Darrow, a language arts teacher at Jefferson, reiterated concerns raised by Rolwes regarding full-time teaching positions.
“This is not a communication issue,” said Darrow, who has led Jefferson’s winning Academic Decathlon team and is also a school district parent. “This is a management issue.”
His voice nearly breaking with emotion, Darrow said he and other teachers with children in the district are “strongly considering removing our students from the Cedar Rapids Community School District.”
“These are not hypotheticals,” Darrow said. “This is not hyperbole.”
More: Cedar Rapids School Board votes to spend $7.5 million on land for new school
it’s always discouraging when you see what you once cherished crumble to the ground, even if its your perceptions of how things should be vs. how they really are.
CR parent here – open enrolled all 5 kids into Marion (which has its problems as well). Just do what’s right for your kiddos, your livelihood, and your mental health / spiritual wellbeing.
The CRSD School Board seems to be blazing their own trail, with or without the parents.
It’s your choice.
the school board and supervisor is killing this district
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Yet another sad example of the fiscal irresponsibility of the leadership of the CRCSD. And they want us to give them several hundreds of millions of dollars to spend. Sorry, as far as I can see, the only thing you people are good at is wasting money. Time to clean house.
[…] More: Teachers consider removing own children from district as cuts loom […]
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The Taj Mahal strikes again! They have never cut what they should, in the palace! it is a microcosm of what’s wrong with Congress! They don’t cut the high salaried “do nothings,” but make sure family and friends stay employed. I’m sure the custodial staff will be severely cut AGAIN, because they are disposable. Watch!