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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Cedar Rapids school board candidates on school safety, curriculum
Seven candidates are vying for three seats on the Cedar Rapids school board
Oct. 27, 2025 5:30 am, Updated: Oct. 27, 2025 7:29 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS — Seven candidates vying for three seats on the Cedar Rapids school board shared with The Gazette their thoughts on safety, security and curriculum.
School boards establish the vision and goals for public schools in their district and set standards for the performance of schools and superintendents.
School boards — whose members are unpaid in Iowa — are responsible for making final financial and policy decisions for their districts.
Election Day is Nov. 4.
District 2 race
Three candidates are running for one seat in District 2. Those candidates are Mimi Daoud, 24, Scott Drzycimski, 51, and David Chung, 64.
Daoud said the district can improve safety by expanding restorative practices that strengthen relationships between teachers and students and students and students, repair harm and reduce conflict.
Increasing students’ access to mental health resources and ensuring classrooms are adequately staffed, so teachers are not overextended are other important factors in physical, emotional and psychological safety, she said.
“A safe school is one where students feel a sense of belonging and teachers feel supported in doing their jobs effectively,” Daoud said.
Daoud said she wants to ensure curriculum is inclusive, culturally responsive and prepares students for the future.
“Teachers are the experts in the classroom, and their voices must guide the process, along with ongoing review to ensure equity and effectiveness,” she said.
Drzycimski said facility improvements are important for creating safe buildings that can quickly and efficiently lock down to protect students from threats inside and outside the school.
A $117 million school bond referendum headed to voters Nov. 4, would fund the construction of modern, secure entrances at four schools.
The district also needs to work toward reducing violent behavior in classrooms, Drzycimski said. Restorative practices, discipline and expanding mental health services are “critical to reducing the risk of harm for students and staff.”
“Teachers and staff do everything possible to protect students when another student has a behavioral situation, but this often results in teachers themselves experiencing some kind of physical harm,” Drzycimski said. “I’m committed to learning more about our district’s procedures and encouraging the superintendent to engage classroom staff and educators to determine what additional resources are needed to reduce safety risks.”
Drzycimski said if elected he would “watch closely” to ensure a successful rollout of the College & Career Pathways program. Continuing to offer world languages, fine arts and electives also is “critical to attracting students to the district,” he said.
“I think we need to continue to gather input from our teachers on what is working and be open to adjusting delivery models and focus areas. We need to align with industry experts to help us stay current on emerging technologies that could disrupt or change the technical education needs of the workforce,” he said.
Chung did not answer about how the district could improve student and teacher safety.
On curriculum, Chung said he is concerned the focus on science, technology, engineering and math and vocational education programs is reducing access to music, art and foreign language opportunities.
District 3 race
Two candidates are running for one seat in District 3. Those candidates are incumbent Jennifer Borcherding, 53, and Ashley Burns, 32.
Borcherding said new and updated facilities with safe entry points are important to improving student and teacher safety.
Restorative practices also are important in reducing disruptive classroom behaviors, which will improve safety, Borcherding said.
“New initiatives developed and implemented by the Safe and Secure Learning team are already providing additional safety features in our buildings,” she said.
On curriculum, Borcherding said she has no concerns but is open to feedback.
Burns said improvements to student and staff safety begins with building a culture where students know they are seen, cared for and supported in school.
This includes expanding access to mental health professionals and training staff in trauma-informed practices, de-escalation and crisis response.
“Adding restorative practices can also help repair harm, hold students accountable, and reduce repeat conflicts while keeping students connected to school,” Burns said. “Families are essential partners in this work, too. Engaging parents and caregivers in safety expectations helps create consistency for students at school and at home. Safety efforts should also be data-driven, so we can monitor progress and make adjustments where needed.”
Burns said school resource officers play an important role in intervening when students break the law and help resolve conflicts that may have started outside of school before they escalate.
“Data from (the Cedar Rapids district) indicates that SROs have had a positive impact on school safety overall, but we also recognize that certain student populations may feel less comfortable with their presence,” Burns said.
Burns said the school board’s role is to ensure the district chooses research-based curriculum that aligns with national and state standards.
“It is also the responsibility of the board to protect access to materials. Efforts to ban books or limit exposure to diverse perspectives undermine the very purpose of public education. Our students deserve access to high-quality resources that prepare them for the real world, foster critical thinking and encourage them to engage with new ideas,” Burns said.
At-Large race
Two candidates are running for one seat for director at-large. Those candidates are incumbent Marcy Roundtree, 50, and Laura Zimmerman, 39.
Roundtree said the district is working to improve safety for students and teachers.
“It is very important to me that we get this right,” she said. “It’s a work that is definitely in progress. I will continue to lean in on this until I feel we have exhausted everything possible to make sure our staff and students are safe.”
Roundtree said she is paying close attention to how newly implemented curriculum is impacting student data and “how comfortable teachers are teaching it.”
“We as a board must commit to digging in on this to make sure it’s what our students need,” Roundtree said.
Zimmerman said it’s essential that students, teachers and staff feel safe inside the classroom. That requires “clear, consistent standards of behavior,” she said.
“When these standards are violated, a district-wide, consistent process must be in place to address the situation effectively. Certain behaviors simply cannot be tolerated for the well-being of the entire school community,” Zimmerman said.
“As an educator, I felt safer in my building when a school resource officer was present. When issues would arise — and issues did arise- our SRO was experienced and built relationships with students to de-escalate potentially harmful behavior,” she said.
Zimmerman also said the upcoming bond referendum is critical to funding essential safety improvements to building entrances.
Zimmerman said when curriculum concerns arise, it’s best to have those conversations with the “most informed” — curriculum coordinators and teachers.
Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com
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