Linn-Mar Community School District

Linn-Mar Community School District is a public school district in Linn County, Iowa, that administrates seven elementary schools, two intermediate schools, two junior high schools and a senior high school. The district includes the northern part of Marion, Iowa, an area in Cedar Rapids, part of Robins and rural areas in the county. As of 2019, more than 7700 students were enrolled in district schools.

History
The Linn-Mar Community School District was formed in 1948 when 17 sub-districts (including twelve one-room school buildings and a two-room school building) were joined together to build the Marion Rural Independent School District. At that time, 678 students were enrolled in grades K–8.

Schools
The district operates twelve schools:
Linn-Mar High School, Marion (est. 1959) 
Excelsior Middle School, Marion (est. 1995) 
Oak Ridge Middle School, Marion (est. 2003) 
Hazel Point Intermediate School, Marion (est. 2021) 
Boulder Peak  Intermediate School, Marion (est. 2021)
Bowman Woods Elementary School, Cedar Rapids (est. 1968) 
Echo Hill Elementary School, Marion (est. 2008) 
Indian Creek Elementary School, Marion (est. 1961) 
Linn Grove Elementary School, Marion (est. 2007) 
Novak Elementary School, Marion (est. 2010) 
Westfield Elementary School, Robins (est. 1999) 
Wilkins Elementary School, Marion (est. 1966)

Referendums 
 March 1993, district residents approved an $8.5 million bond issue to construct a new 5–6 intermediate building, fund media center expansions, construct 14 additional High School classrooms, and create additions to four elementary buildings: Bowman Woods, Indian Creek, Wilkins and Novak (current LRC building).
 February 1997, a $25 million bond proposal was voter approved. This bond helped fund the 1999 District change from a K–4, 5–6, 7–8, and 9–12 configuration to a K–5, 6–8, and 9–12 configuration. Westfield elementary was constructed and additions were made to Wilkins and Indian Creek. Excelsior was expanded to become a 6–8 building and the High School underwent a remodeled to make it a more efficient 9–12 building.
 A $12 million bond proposal allowed for the construction of Oak Ridge (originally constructed as a K–8 building) and the Bowman Woods Gymnasium. This bond proposal was approved in 2001.
 January 2006, voters approved a $27.5 million bond referendum by nearly 75% approval. The district constructed two new elementary schools (Linn Grove and Echo Hill), converted Oak Ridge to a 6–8 building and made renovations to the High School and Novak Elementary (current LRC building).
 September 2018 voters approved a $55 million bond. This bond will be utilized to fund the construction of two 5–6 grade buildings and change the district to a pre K–4, 5–6, 7–8, and 9–12 building configuration. The future construction of these buildings will provide major support to overcrowding in the current pre K–5 elementary buildings.

SILO (School Infrastructure Local Option) 
Voters in Linn County approved a 10-year School Infrastructure Local Option (SILO) Sales Tax on February 13, 2007. SILO tax revenues are distributed across all school districts in Linn County for the first five years of the tax. In 2008, the Iowa Legislature passed SAVE legislation which extended the penny sales tax for schools to 2029 and created an average per student allocation for school districts across the state. The increase in the sales and use tax from 5% to 6% was intended to replace the 1% SILO tax that had been in effect.

To date, SILO revenue has allowed the district to build the new Novak Elementary school, air condition five schools, construct a 6,000 seat multipurpose stadium, install additional high school parking, purchase property to relocate Transportation and Operations & Maintenance, relocate the baseball and softball fields to the Oak Ridge property and construct an indoor aquatics center.

Enrollment 
From 2000 to 2017 Linn-Mar’s certified enrollment number grew at an average yearly rate of 2.24%.

Fall enrollment per year (since 2000) 

2000: 4,998
2001: 5,149
2002: 5,263
2003: 5,412
2004: 5,628
2005: 5,780
2006: 6,196
2007: 6,371
2008: 6,490
2009: 6,601
2010: 6,644
2011: 6,729
2012: 6,730
2013: 6,880
2014: 6,943
2015: 7,145
2016: 7,198
2017: 7,313
2018: 7,436
2019: 7,557
2020: 7,676
2021: 7,598

Test data 
In the 2017-2018 school year Linn-Mar Community School District had a reading proficiency level of 84.1% compared to a state level of 77%. From 2014-2018 district ACT test scores averaged 24.34. The state average for the same timeframe was 21.675. In 2016 the national average for the ACT test was 20.8.

References

School districts in Iowa
School districts established in 1948
Schools in Linn County, Iowa
1948 establishments in Iowa
Education in Cedar Rapids, Iowa