EducationFriday, November 6
Voters pass Kirkwood Community College's $88 million bond with 69% in favor
The Good Day Cedar Rapids team
Voters passed the college's $88 million bond with 69% in favor. Kirkwood estimates the proposal would increase residential property taxes by $9.35 a year for every $100,000 of assessed value, and says the real cost could be lower with exemptions and credits.
Kirkwood's bond by the numbers
- $88 million
- in bonds for instruction space, labs and technology
- 69%
- of voters in favor
- $9.35
- a year per $100,000 of assessed value
- 41,000+
- learners Kirkwood serves each year
Sources: KCII Radio, KGAN
The money covers classrooms, labs and training facilities. Kirkwood says the work would update learning environments and equipment to reflect current workplace practices and support hands-on training.
The bond would pay for work in five areas
| Area | Planned work |
|---|---|
| Healthcare | Linn Hall and Katz Family Healthcare Simulation Center |
| Advanced manufacturing | Jones Hall renovations |
| Agriculture | New agricultural machinery shop |
| Business and IT | Nielsen and Benton halls updates |
| High-demand classrooms | Technology, accessibility and safety upgrades |
Source: KGAN
The upgrades reach beyond Cedar Rapids. Tera Pickens, director of Kirkwood's Washington County Regional Center, said equipment and technology updates planned for the main campus would happen at the Washington location too.
- Service area: seven Eastern Iowa counties
- Programs: more than 140 credit programs, degrees, diplomas and certificates
- Washington County families: over $1.1 million estimated tuition savings
Sources: KCII Radio, KGAN