The 2023-24 School Year is Complete!

And just like that, we have reached the end of another school year. This year has been filled with remarkable achievements, growth, and countless memorable moments, though we also faced a few challenges along the way. We thank you for your continued support and collaboration through it all. We hope that you and your students have a truly wonderful summer filled with relaxation, rejuvenation, and the creation of lasting memories. 


While you are away this summer, our staff will be working hard behind the scenes to prepare for the new school year. We’ll continue to build on this year's successes so that we can make CRCSD even better. We look forward to our students' return on August 23rd, for another year filled with new adventures and endless possibilities!

News and Updates

Washington Senior Named Noel Scholar


Washington graduating senior Landyn Mitvalsky recently learned that he was named year's Noel Scholar. The announcement was made at a surprise celebration attended by family, friends, Washington staff, and UNI representatives. The Noel Scholar Program offers a student a full-ride scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). It covers all expenses for the recipient, including tuition, fees, housing, books, transportation, and personal costs. 


The impact of this scholarship is profound. It has the potential to offer a life-altering opportunity to a deserving student,” said Elisabeth Soliz, Director of the UNI Office of Professional Distinction


Adopted at the age of one, Mitvalsky grew up with his three siblings and quickly established himself as a natural leader. He captained all three of his high school's sports teams. He engaged in various leadership initiatives, including the Leaders, Believers, and Achievers and the Mission of The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success. This leadership, along with his academic achievements and commitment to the community, are why Landyn was selected for this honor.


The scholarship takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders, and maybe I’ll have more time to do an internship or study abroad, which I might not have been able to do before. It changes a lot for me,” shares Mitvalsky.


At UNI, Mitvalsky plans to study marketing or business administration. He is eager to immerse himself in campus life, develop new connections, and contribute to the university community.

Hoover Food Pantry Donation


On Friday, May 31st, Molina Healthcare of Iowa presented a $5,000 check to Hoover Community School’s food pantry. This generous donation will help the school district’s efforts to provide nutritious meals to families with children attending the school or residing in the nearby community. By addressing food insecurity, Hoover Community School ensures that students can concentrate on their education rather than hunger.


Hoover Community School serves a diverse student body, with over 90% of students qualifying for the National School Lunch Program and 50% receiving English Language Learners services. More than 20 different languages are spoken by its students and their families, reflecting the school’s rich cultural diversity.


The Hoover Food Pantry currently supports 178 families by distributing 750 meals every two weeks. Molina’s contribution will enable the pantry to offer culturally specific foods such as live cassava leaves, palm oil, plantains, and cassava flour, aligning with the school’s mission to embrace and celebrate diversity.  

Metro GaGa Ball Pits at Hiawatha


Students at Hiawatha Elementary School are enjoying a special project completed by another school's class. In a wonderful example of students helping students, Metro High School’s construction class collaborated to build a new GaGa Pit for Hiawatha Elementary’s playground. GaGa ball is becoming a popular recess game for elementary school kids. The students at Hiawatha are extremely grateful to the Metro High students and teachers for taking on this project.

District Administrator Update - Chief of Data & Chief of Schools


CRCSD is delighted to announce the addition of two esteemed professionals to our leadership team. Ms. Orsolya Cypert will be our new Chief Data Officer, and Dr. Maura Hobson will be assuming the role of Chief of Schools in Area 1, pending board approval. As members of the Executive Cabinet, they will play pivotal roles in shaping our strategic direction, allocating resources, and providing robust support for CRCSD. We are confident in their ability to significantly contribute to building trust and credibility as we strive to improve achievement scores. Their expertise and leadership will undoubtedly contribute to our district's continued success.

Ms. Orsolya Cypert is joining CRCSD from the business sector, where she spent many years as a product manager. Most recently, she was responsible for managing the Department of Defense training and certification platform and content, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms for real-time readiness predictions, gathering user feedback for integration, and championing innovative AI/ML solutions to deliver greater value in education. She has strong leadership skills, effective communication abilities, and makes decisions based on data and facts. Her empathetic nature helps her build strong relationships, and her vision enables her to set goals for the future.

Dr. Maura Hobson has a rich background in education, having served in various roles, including teacher, principal, and Director of School Advancement. As a Director, she provided research-based school support services and supervised and evaluated multiple coaches across various projects, ensuring excellence at every step. Dr. Hobson is eager to work alongside dedicated leaders and teachers to help students achieve their educational goals and positively impact the lives of students and the community.

Mississippi Valley Conference Honors

The Mississippi Valley Conference recently released its list of all-conference honors for high school track and field, tennis, soccer, and golf. CRCSD would like to congratulate all of our district athletes who have been chosen for the MVC all-conference first team, second team, and honorable mention honors. Congratulations!

See the honors

U.S. Coast Guard Band Performing at Jefferson High School


This summer, Jefferson High School will be hosting the Heartland Harmonies United States Coast Guard Band. The 55-member band, under the Direction of Commander Adam R. Williamson, will be performing a FREE public concert on Monday, July 1st at 7:00 PM in the Jefferson High School auditorium. Ticket reservations are required and can be made online. The concert will feature band hits, virtuosic solo features, rousing marches, new music by American composers, and patriotic classics that are sure to bring the audience to its feet!

Summer PPEL Projects


Even though the school year is over, our work doesn’t stop! Our Operations Department will be busy cleaning, repairing, and replacing several things across the District. Here are just a few of the jobs we have planned for the summer -

  • Tile/Carpet replacement and tuckpointing at Hiawatha Elem.
  • ADA lift in the Kennedy woodshop
  • ADA locker room improvements at Kingston Stadium
  • Locker replacement at Viola Gibson Elem.
  • Roof replacement at Washington High School
  • Concrete repairs/replacement to Jefferson High School parking lots

CRCSD funds these types of projects through the voter-approved Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, or PPEL. PPELs are common in Iowa, with more than 83% of districts having one in place. CRCSD’s voted PPEL has been in place for 50 years and provides crucial funds that are used to maintain and upkeep our buildings, grounds, and equipment. If you want to learn more about PPEL and how it supports CRCSD and our students, please visit crschools.us/PPEL.

Reminders For The Summer

Open Enrollment Changes


During the 2024 Legislative Session, the State of Iowa made a change to the Open Enrollment Deadline. For the 2024-2025 school year, the Open Enrollment Application deadline is June 30, 2024, for grades 1-12 (Kindergarten deadline is Sept 1, 2024).


For the 2025-2026 school year, the Open Enrollment Application deadline will be March 1, 2025 (all future years' deadlines will be March 1).

Free Meals for All This Summer


CRCSD will once again offer students free meals over the summer. These meals help ensure kids can still get the nutritious food they may need even when school is closed. These meals are FREE and only available for children 18 years of age and younger. All meals must be consumed on-site. Breakfast will be served from 8:00 am - 9:00 am, and lunch will be served from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm. A meal menu is available on Nutrislice. Click the button below for more information and to see the full schedule of meal sites.

Free Summer Meal Information

Annual Verification Starts July 1st

Mark your calendars! Annual Verification will be available online through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal or the Infinite Campus App starting July 1st.


The Annual Verification process lets us know that your child will be attending a school in the Cedar Rapids Community School District for the upcoming school year. ALL CRCSD families must complete it every year before the start of the new school year.


  • Update family/student contact information to ensure you receive timely communication from the district and in case of emergencies. 
  • Update consent forms for field trips, photo releases, and technology use.
  • Update eligibility for reduced school fees.
  • Upload vaccination and sports physical forms

Virtual Backpack


As summer approaches, parents looking for ways to keep their kids busy and engaged can turn to the CRCSD's "Virtual Backpack." This online resource offers a wide range of district and community activities tailored to students and families. From camps and sports leagues to volunteer opportunities and community events, there's something for everyone. The Virtual Backpack website also allows you to search for upcoming activities by school, grade level, or specific themes. Be sure to check out this great district resource to stay up-to-date on the latest activities and events all summer long.

Visit Virtual Backpack

Summer Reading Programs


Looking for a way to help keep your students learning all summer long? Check out this list of summer reading programs from around the area. These programs are designed to help encourage Pre-K through 11th grade students to stay engaged in their education outside of the classroom. All programs are free and open to all students. If your students are struggling to find something to read, click here for a list of recommended age-appropriate books from some of our CRCSD Librarians.

Cedar Rapids Public Library’s Summer Dare Reading Program

Hiawatha Public Library’s Summer Reading Program

Marion Public Library’s Summer Reading Program

Cedar Rapids Kernels Summer Reading Program

Half Price Books’ Summer Reading Camp

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program

Newsletter Will Take a Short Summer Break


With students and staff soon leaving for summer break, so will this weekly district newsletter. Next Friday will be the last Future Ready Today Newsletter for this 2023-2024 school year. But don’t worry; if anything important pops up over the summer, we will send out a special email and/or newsletters to help keep everyone informed. We plan to start the newsletter back up in August, so be on the lookout! Remember, we keep all past editions of the district newsletter on our website

2024-2025 District Calendar

Visit our Calendar page

CRCSD In the News

In case you missed it, here are recent news items about or of interest to Cedar Rapids Community School District students, teachers, and parents.

Jefferson High School

Activities Calendar

Kennedy High School

Activities Calendar

Washington High School

Activities Calendar

Learn more about

breakfast and lunch

meals here.

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Non-Discrimination Policy

It is the policy of the Cedar Rapids Community School District not to discriminate in educational programs and/or activities on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity, socioeconomic status, national origin, religion, disability, age (except for permitting/prohibiting students to engage in certain activities) or genetic information and in employment opportunities on the basis of age, race, creed, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Darius Ballard, Chief of Human Resources, Educational Leadership and Support Center, 2500 Edgewood Rd NW, Cedar Rapids, IA, (319) 558-2000.

June 6, 2024