Kirkwood Voters Weigh $88M Bond Referendum
Voters in 18 counties decide whether to fund campus upgrades at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
Would you vote yes on an $88 million college bond in your area?
Voters across 18 counties are deciding an $88 million bond referendum for Kirkwood Community College, with polls closing at 8:00 PM Tuesday. The bond would fund improvements to Jones, Linn, Nielsen, and Benton Halls on the college's campus.
Why it matters
The referendum matters to Cedar Rapids residents because the college's campus sits in the city and the bond would shape its facilities for years. Higher construction costs account for the larger price tag compared with the college's 2017 bond.
The $88 million bond is roughly 47 percent larger than the college's $60 million bond from 2017, and taxpayers would pay less than $10 for every $100,000 of assessed property value. Results of the vote were not yet known at the time of the extraction.
The players
Kirkwood Community College
A public community college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving students across the region and seeking voter approval for the $88 million bond.
The details
The bond would fund improvements to Jones, Linn, Nielsen, and Benton Halls, with about $10 million directed toward renovating Linn Hall, which was last renovated in 2013. Almost 450 students are currently enrolled in the nursing program, and the college cites outdated Linn Hall equipment and insufficient lecture space as reasons for the upgrades.
Timeline
2013: Linn Hall was renovated.
2017: Kirkwood's previous $60 million bond passed, with half going toward a new student center.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Polls close at 8:00 PM for the $88 million bond vote.
Political Context
Kirkwood's $88 million request is a larger follow-up to its 2017 $60 million bond, which devoted half its funds to a new student center. Supporters point to rising costs as the reason the new request is larger, while the extraction does not identify any specific opposition arguments.
If approved, the bond would be paid by property taxpayers in the 18 counties, at less than $10 per $100,000 of assessed property value. Nursing students and others using Linn, Jones, Nielsen, and Benton Halls would see the planned upgrades to classrooms and equipment.
The takeaway
Local bond votes like this one set how a community pays for its college facilities, and residents in the 18 counties will decide the outcome at the polls.
Further reading
For more on how local ballot measures are decided, see Elections coverage for Cedar Rapids.
Live Poll
Would you vote yes on an $88 million college bond in your area?
