CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Parents in Cedar Rapids are calling for a delay to the district’s College & Career Pathways program, citing unanswered questions andteacher concerns about the program’s rushed rollout. Parent Brooke Oja submitted a petition during Monday’s school board meeting, which has garnered over 600 signatures.
Oja told Iowa’s News Now the petition is not about stopping the program, but about taking more time to ensure its success. “The petition isn’t saying this is a horrible plan. We do like some of the pieces, but we’re just not ready to move forward, and that’s what the families are saying,” she said. “I know that I don’t have the signatures from staff because a lot of them are scared, so I know that I am well over 606 signatures. There are still some questions surrounding it, and that’s all the parents are asking for. The district has had over 18 months, so give us some time, give us more than six months.”
The Career Pathways program aims to tie students’ electives to specific, career-focused pathways, such as medical sciences or business. It will begin with “Freshman Academies” at Kennedy, Jefferson, and Washington high schools next fall, expanding to include sophomores, juniors, and seniors by 2026. The district says the program is designed to better prepare students for college and their careers while boosting graduation rates.
However, Oja and others say the district has failed to adequately communicate the plan to families. “When I created the petition, it was clear to me that we needed to start some documentation of just those of us in the community—staff, parents—that we just needed some additional time,” Oja said. “The district did not seem like they were going to listen to our words.”
Concerns about transparency and logistics have fueled much of the backlash. Parents have raised questions about how the program will impact students’ academic choices, transportation, and staffing.
In a statement to Iowa’s News Now and in response to the petition, the district said, “As we understand Iowa law, a public hearing must be scheduled within 30 days if the petition meets the legal requirements. We are currently reviewing the petition to ensure it complies with these requirements and will proceed accordingly.”
Superintendent Dr. Tawana Grover acknowledged the challenges during an interview with Iowa’s News Now on Friday. “We’ve always been looking at how can we get better? How can we service more students and ensure that we have more students graduating in a way that they’re prepared for life?” she said. Grover emphasized that the program is not final and that the district wants family input.
When asked about the possibility of delaying the program, Grover would not not explicitly state whether the option was on the table. “What’s on the table is the opportunity for our families to come in, and by having them give us more input, then we are gonna have a better understanding of what our families want.”
As for the petition, which had 500 signatures at the time, she said, “People may look at the fact that there are 500 questions out there—we have over 15,000 students in our school district.”
The district also invited parents to join a Parent Advisory Group to provide input on the program and said it’s planning to hold additional community meetings in 2025.
Oja said she remains focused on ensuring the board takes action. “My hope is that they just understand that this is moving way too fast,” she said. “We really do have valid reasons for slowing this down.”
If the petition is validated, the board will have 30 days to schedule a public hearing.
Iowa’s News Now will continue to follow this story as it develops.