Enseva rendering

A company that designs, constructs and operates secure computer data storage centers is planning a $12 million facility in Hiawatha.

Enseva, a data colocation firm, broke ground Monday for the 17,000-square-foot multiple tenant data center at 755 Metzger Dr., off Hawkeye Drive in Hiawatha. The facility, which will open in the fall of 2012 and have 10 full-time employees, can be expanded with three additional 12,000-square-foot modules.

The Enseva Data Center will be a collaborative project with Iowa Health System of Des Moines, Professional Office Services of Cedar Falls, the City of Hiawatha, Alliant Energy-Interstate Power and Light and Priority One with financing provided by Grundy National Bank of Grundy Center. Cardinal Construction will be the general contractor.

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Members of the Cedar Rapids Board of Education were presented a rebate check from Alliant Energy on Monday, Oct. 10. Pictured (from left) are Dr. Dave Benson, Superintendent; John Laverty, Board President; Mary Meisterling, Board Vice President; and Chad Wiltz, Alliant Energy Account Manager.

The Cedar Rapids Community School District has received a nearly $70,000 rebate from Alliant Energy for energy efficiency improvements at Taft Middle School.

The two-year geothermal project at Taft was completed in September. With the recent improvements to the heating and air conditioning, Taft is projected to decrease energy consumption by 56,831 kilowatt hours annually.

Pictured are Dr. Dave Benson, Superintendent; John Laverty, Board of Education President; Mary Meisterling, Board of Education Vice President; and Chad Wiltz, Alliant Energy Account Manager.

CEDAR RAPIDS — Only one new face will grace the Cedar Rapids school board, as the three incumbents were re-elected Tuesday.

John Laverty, Ann Rosenthal and Mary Meisterling retain their seats — two at-large and District 1 respectively — for another four years.

“I appreciate the confidence the community has in me,” said Rosenthal, who was first elected to the school board in 1999.

Almost 8,000 ballots were cast, according to unofficial results from the Linn County Auditor’s Office.

Rosenthal garnered the most votes in the at-large race — almost 30 percent — with the board’s current president, Laverty, a close second at nearly 29 percent.

“I’m just happy that the voters decided we’re on the right path,” said Laverty, who has served on the board since 2007.

Along with him and Rosenthal, Matt Ford, Karen Hartlep and Kathy Ulrich were in the running for the two at-large seats.

Allen Witt, who ran against Sunny Story for the District 4 seat, is the board’s new face, winning nearly 58 percent of the votes cast.

Witt said he’s happy to be in a position to help move education forward. In addition to addressing the immediate issues facing the board, specifically the district’s enrollment and facilities study, Witt wants to see an increase in parent involvement. He said he hopes the unusually high voter turnout — 5.04 percent, according to preliminary unofficial results — is an indication of what’s to come.

“People got more information, more engaged, this (election), which can only benefit the district,” Witt said.

Meisterling, who was challenged by Dustin Weiland, received 66 percent of the votes cast in the District 1 race.

“I’m happy to serve,” Meisterling said. “The school board and our education system is so important to me. Public education is the equalizer for all students.”

Meisterling, the board’s vice president, was first elected to her seat in 2002.

The nine people campaigning for four seats made this election one of the most contested in recent district history. Meisterling said she commends all of the candidates and hopes that they’ll continue to stay connected with the school district as it continues to move forward.

Cedar Rapids school board incumbents John Laverty, Mary Meisterling and Ann Rosenthal.

Cedar Rapids school board candidate John Laverty issued a mass e-mail late Sunday night encouraging people to vote in tomorrow’s school board election.

In the e-mail, Laverty – who is currently the board’s president and one of three incumbents in this year’s election – said “‘Special interest groups’ are attempting to take control of the school board in this election and it’s critical that everyone vote.”

The special interest group Laverty refers to is the teachers’ union. Incumbent Ann Rosenthal said the same thing in her guest column published in The Gazette on Sept. 4.

“The Cedar Rapids Education Association (teachers’ union) is campaigning to replace current board members John Laverty, Mary Meisterling and me with a slate that would form a majority,” Rosenthal stated. “This risks limiting parental input on the board in favor of initiatives more focused on the interests of just one shareholder group.”

Three retired educators – two teachers and one para-professional – are on this year’s ballot. In all, nine candidates are vying for four seats in this year’s election.

“I am a retired teacher and I have been, and am, a member of the NEA (National Education Association) and the ISEA (Iowa State Education Association),” said Karen Hartlep, who is one of five at-large candidates.

Hartlep said she’s concerned her involvement with both associations may be misinterpreted, but added that that role of the school board is leadership to make the best decisions for kids.

“If I went to a hospital board, I would expect the hospital board to made up of doctors and others in the profession,” said Sunny Story, a District 4 candidate. “I expect our school board to be made up of educators and others in the profession.”

Story, a retired para-professional, is running against Allen Witt, a civil engineer.

“I look at myself as part of the support group for students and students are my top priority,” Story said.

Rosenthal said school board members make decisions based on data, not special interests. She didn’t speak against the Cedar Rapids Teacher Association, but expressed concern of what could happen if the lines between the school board and the union are blurred.

“About 80 percent of our budget is salary and benefits, and a vast majority of that bargaining is done with the union,” Laverty added. “Right now, we have a balanced school board, including Gary Anhalt, who is a past union president.”

Kathy Ulrich, a retired teacher, pointed out that three of the current board members are University of Iowa employees.

Laverty is the associate director of admissions. Rosenthal is the associate director of facilities management. Nancy Humbles, who was elected to the board in 2009, is the director for the UI’s Center for Diversity & Enrichment.

“Some people might look at that and say the University of Iowa might have a vested interest in the school board,” Ulrich said. “I am running because I’m an educator of long-standing who happens to be a union member.”

Both Laverty and Rosenthal are at-large candidates in Tuesday’s election. They are challenged by Hartlep, Ulrich and Matt Ford, a Realtor with Skogman Realty.

District 1 candidates are incumbent Mary Meisterling, a strategic account manager for Alliant Energy and the board’s current vice president, and Dustin Weiland of Ironworker Local 89.

Polls open for Linn County school board elections at 7 a.m. tomorrow. They close at 8 p.m.

There are many reasons to be proud of the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

Two of our high schools are consistently recognized by U.S. News and World Report as being among the top 500 high schools in the country. Our students consistently score at high levels on Advanced Placement tests and other standardized achievement exams. Our district continues to offer a rich variety of classes and programs in the sciences, world languages and the fine arts. And, we accomplish this while maintaining a property tax levy rate that is the lowest in the metro area and among the lowest of large school districts statewide.

At the same time, there are areas in which we can improve. Far too many of our students achieve at levels below their capabilities. Too many of our teachers lack the skills needed to help students who struggle with learning, and I hope that Gov. Terry Branstad’s blueprint for education reform will address these challenges by supporting additional professional development and by strengthening the teacher preparation requirements in Iowa. That message was loud and clear at the Education Summit held in Des Moines over the summer.

The governor’s blueprint should focus on the significant issue of teacher quality and not over emphasize the easy-to-measure but less critical issue of class size.

It is also essential that Iowa reinforce its commitment to early childhood education by ensuring that all families have access to high-quality preschool. The data and research unmistakably confirms that children who attend are positively affected during their early learning years and throughout their academic career.

Locally, my hope is that the Cedar Rapids Community School District maintains its commitment to staff development that allows teachers to learn from one another and to share best practices that enrich and improve student outcomes. The professional learning communities are now embedded in every school. Early dismissal afternoons allow opportunities for teachers to collaborate regularly and to put their insights into practice almost immediately.

We have other initiatives under way that serve to increase student achievement. These include the districtwide use of the Pyramid Response to Intervention, which allows teachers to more readily identify students in need of additional instruction. Time is carved out during the school day for either intervention or enrichment based on each student’s need. We are also working to ensure that our teachers deliver consistent, quality instruction to every student.

It is important that our school board continues to support these vital initiatives so that all students have the opportunity to achieve at high levels.

While our school district faces many challenges, the greatest is our changing demographic. More and more of our students — 45 percent districtwide during the 2010-11 school year — live in poverty as defined by the federal government. Many of these children are in severe need of even more focused attention to help them grow academically and reach their potential.

It has been my privilege to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the past nine years, and I look forward to continuing to work with our school district community toward our shared goal of providing the best possible education for all students.

Mary Meisterling is a key account manager for Alliant Energy. Prior to her school board service, she was a member of the school district’s infrastructure committee and also served as PTA president at Washington High School. She and her husband are the parents of three children, all of whom are graduates of the Cedar Rapids Community School District. Comments: marymeisterling@mchsi.com