CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (July 16, 2026)–The Kirkwood Community College Board of Trustees voted on Thursday evening to place an $88 million general obligation bond referendum before voters in the November 2026 election.
If approved by voters, the bond would fund improvements to instructional facilities, classrooms, laboratories, technology and learning environments that support programs preparing students for careers in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, business, information technology and other high-demand fields.
The proposed projects include:
- Advanced Manufacturing and Trades Renovations – Features improvements to classrooms, technical labs and equipment updates to Jones Hall, home of the college’s Industrial Technologies department
- Business and IT Department Upgrades and Updated Leaning Spaces in Nielsen and Benton Halls – Includes modernized classrooms, labs, building systems and instructional technology
- Health Program Upgrades, the Katz Healthcare Simulation Center, and Linn Hall – Renovations will include updating instructional labs, simulation spaces, classroom technology and student support areas designed to reflect current healthcare practices and industry standards
- New Agricultural Operations Machinery Shop – Features much-needed machinery shop and animal feed storage space as well as roadway and parking improvements to support instruction, student access, visitors and industry partnerships
- High-Demand Active Learning Classrooms – Project will modernize high-demand active learning classrooms with updated furniture, lighting, power access, technology, accessibility improvements, safety enhancements and flexible learning features
For residential property owners, the estimated cost of the bond would be approximately $9.35 per year for every $100,000 of assessed property value–less than $10 annually, or less than $1 per month, per $100,000 of assessed value.
According to college leaders, the proposed bond is intended to support facilities and learning environments used to educate the workforce that communities rely on, including skilled industrial technicians, nurses, paramedics, first responders, agricultural professionals, IT specialists and business professionals.
The impact will extend across the college’s seven-county service area. Students from Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Washington counties come to Kirkwood to prepare for careers in high-demand fields before returning to their communities to join local workforces, serve area employers and contribute to the region’s economic vitality.
The bond referendum will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, election ballot. Additional information about the proposed projects and estimated tax impacts is available at www.kirkwood.edu/bond2026.