Rock Valley CSD seeks community support for $25 million high school expansion bond proposal

Rock Valley, Iowa is gearing up for a crucial vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7, as residents in the Rock Valley School District will have the opportunity to decide on a proposed $25 million bond aimed at expanding their school.

The Rock Valley Community School District is seeking approval for a $25 million bond, which would mark their third bond since 2022 in a bid to accommodate the growing student population and expand their high school.

Superintendent Matt Van Voorst stated, “The last bond that went through at Rock Valley was in the 2005-2006 school year and enrollment has grown around 43% since then. Projecting out, it’s projected to grow about 10 students per year for the next 5 to 10 years. Right now there is a need; we want to plan for now but also in the future.”

The current lack of space due to the increasing student population has forced some teachers to merge classrooms and teach simultaneously with other classes in the same room, separated by makeshift walls.

ESL teacher Bonnie Van’t Land described the challenges of the cramped space, stating, “There are lots of challenges with this space. We’ve been in this space for over 4 years and there’s three of us teaching at the same time. You can hear the students talking in the other class spaces, we can hear other teachers talking. We have a hard time using our technology like we would like because playing a video for one group could be disruptive for another group, and classes go in and out a different times, so that can be disruptive.”

If the bond is approved, it would result in an 80,000-square-foot expansion to their existing building, along with the addition of a new gym, music room, and 20 extra classrooms, providing much-needed space for every grade level in the building.

Van’t Land emphasized the importance of the expansion for the community, stating, “I think it’s important for the community to realize that even if your kids or grandkids aren’t coming to this school, the children who are coming here are going to be servicing your vehicles, building your homes, working on your farms. And it benefits all of us when everybody gets a good education.”

Van Voorst also highlighted the broader impact of the proposal, stating, “This proposal will impact the entire district, not just the high school. It impacts our middle school because middle school and high school share space, and then we can take 5th grade and create a 5-8 middle school, and elementary could utilize those 5th-grade classrooms. Overall the whole plan really impacts the whole district.”

The bond will require a 60% approval to pass. Voting on the bond opens Tuesday at 7 a.m., to find out where you can vote, or how the bond could affect your tax rates, click here.

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