Proposed $88 million investment would modernize career training facilities serving the college’s seven-county region
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Oct. 19, 2026)–Kirkwood Community College trains the skilled workers that communities across Eastern Iowa rely on, from rural hospitals and manufacturing facilities to local businesses and agricultural operations. The college’s proposed $88 million bond referendum would help modernize the facilities and technology used to prepare students for careers in these essential industries.
Voters will consider the general obligation bond referendum during the November 3, 2026, general election. The estimated residential property tax impact would be $9.35 annually for every $100,000 of assessed property value–less than $10 per year.
If approved, the bond would fund improvements to classrooms, laboratories and instructional technology supporting programs in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, skilled trades, agriculture, business and information technology.
Specific projects include improvements to Jones Hall, which supports advanced manufacturing and skilled trades; Nielsen and Benton halls, which serve business and information technology programs; and the Katz Healthcare Simulation Center and Linn Hall, which support healthcare education. The proposal also includes a new agricultural operations machinery shop.
The benefits of these improvements would be felt both locally and regionally. Students from throughout the college’s seven-county service area–Linn, Johnson, Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Jones and Washington counties–attend Kirkwood, with many returning to their hometowns to live and work. Graduates become the nurses, emergency responders, technicians, agricultural professionals and business leaders who serve communities throughout Eastern Iowa.
Kirkwood works closely with regional employers to align its programs with changing workforce needs. Updated learning environments and hands-on experience with industry-relevant equipment would help ensure students develop the skills needed for today’s workplaces.
Each year, Kirkwood serves more than 41,000 learners through credit programs and workforce, career and community education. The college offers more than 140 majors, degrees, diplomas and certificates. Approximately 92% of Kirkwood graduates remain in Iowa to live and work.
The bond referendum will appear on the November 3, 2026, general election ballot. For more information about the proposal, visit www.kirkwood.edu/bond2026.