Cedar Rapids Schools to Keep Magnet Programs in 2027-28
The district will continue magnet programming at five schools after its federal grant ends, while closing Cedar River Academy and reshaping several campuses.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The Cedar Rapids school district will continue magnet programming at five schools for the 2027-28 school year, even as its five-year $14.8 million federal grant concludes. Magnet programming will end at Cedar River Academy at Taylor Elementary and Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy after the 2026-27 school year.
Why it matters
The end of the federal grant and a districtwide reconfiguration prompted a review of whether magnet programs were sustainable. The outcome determines which Cedar Rapids students will have access to themed curriculums in science, technology, engineering and math, arts, or leadership.
The district received nearly $15 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Education's Magnet Schools Assistance Program in 2022 and 2024, and that five-year grant is now concluding. Five schools will continue magnet programming in 2027-28, while the source does not detail the program's cost per pupil or enrollment figures.
The players
Cedar Rapids Community School District
The public school district serving Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which operates the magnet programs and oversaw the viability review.
The details
Magnet programming in Cedar Rapids began in 2013 and offers themed curriculums such as science, technology, engineering and math, arts, or leadership. Johnson STEAM Academy and Kenwood Leadership Academy will serve PK-4th grade and McKinley STEAM Academy will serve seventh and eighth grade in 2027-28, while Jefferson and Washington high schools continue magnet programming. City View Community High School will remain open but will no longer be a magnet school, and Roosevelt Creative Corridor will become a fifth- and sixth-grade intermediate school.
Timeline
2013: The Cedar Rapids district launched magnet programming.
2022 and 2024: The district received nearly $15 million in federal magnet grants.
April 2026: The school board approved closing five elementary schools and Truman Early Learning Center.
End of 2026-27 school year: Magnet programming ends at Cedar River Academy and Roosevelt Creative Corridor.
2027-28 school year: Five magnet schools continue programming under the reconfigured district structure.
Culture Shift
The district's decision follows a national pattern in which magnet schools funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Magnet Schools Assistance Program must demonstrate they can operate without federal support. Cedar Rapids is testing whether its themed schools can sustain themselves as federal dollars end.
Families with students at Cedar River Academy or Roosevelt Creative Corridor will need to plan for new school assignments after the 2026-27 school year. Students at the five continuing magnet schools will keep access to themed curriculums in 2027-28.
The takeaway
Families weighing school choices in Cedar Rapids should check which magnet programs will remain in 2027-28, since several campuses are changing grade configurations. Reviewing school assignments early can help avoid disruption as the reconfiguration takes effect.
What happens next
The exploratory model will be implemented in the district's intermediate and middle schools in the coming school year, and Cedar River Academy will close at the end of 2026-27.
Further reading
For more on how districts are reshaping their secondary programs, explore Secondary Education coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Gazette.
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