The Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) is excited to announce that it has been awarded the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant. CRCSD is the first district in Iowa to be awarded MSAP funding and will receive a total of $14,843,658 which will be distributed over the course of five years – the first disbursement will be $6,489,965 for the first two years. The grant project titled Future Ready Magnet Schools will support the enhancement of four existing magnet schools and the addition of one new magnet high school.
The schools included in the MSAP grant and their theme and program revisions are:
- Johnson STEAM Academy, STEAM theme, adding an enhanced focus on the arts
- Cedar River Academy, sustainability theme, adding a museum studies focus
- Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy, business/entrepreneurship theme, adding the Leader in Me program
- McKinley STEAM Academy, STEAM theme, adding a medical sciences pathway and an enhanced focus on the arts
- City View Magnet High School, a new magnet high school completing the K-12 magnet pipeline with a theme of community
The objectives of the Future Ready Magnet Schools are to:
- Create racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically integrated schools
- Increase academic achievement for all students and to reduce gaps
- Build capacity in staff to implement research-based innovative educational methods and practices
- Increase student, family, and staff sense of belonging
“Federal funding for our Future Ready Magnet Schools is a big deal for CRCSD,” says Adam Zimmermann, executive director of Middle Level Education. “We are excited to build upon our current magnet school themes and launch our new City View Community High School next August. Our commitment to providing innovative, passion-based, effective school options is articulated in our strategic plan and the MSAP award will allow us to take the next step to realize our vision of Every Learner, Future Ready.”