Community to vote on $88 million bond: Impact student learning and opportunities

Kirkwood Community College is asking voters in 18 Iowa counties to approve an $88 million bond referendum on Nov. 3 that would fund renovations, technological upgrades and new instructional spaces for programs including health care, manufacturing, agriculture, business and information technology. 

Bond overview 

The proposed bond would fund five major initiatives, including $46 million for renovations to Jones Hall, which houses advanced manufacturing and trades programs, $22 million for business and IT-related upgrades in Nielsen and Benton Halls and $12 million for improvements to health programs and simulation spaces in Linn Hall and the Katz Healthcare Simulation Center.  

The proposal also includes $3.5 million for a new agricultural machinery shop and related site improvements, along with $4.5 million to update high-demand classrooms with modern technology, accessibility features and furniture.  

If approved, the bond would be funded through property taxes, with the college estimating an annual cost of approximately $9.35 for every $100,000 of assessed residential property value. This measure requires at least 60% voter approval to pass.  

According to the college, the proposed improvements would be applied to the aging instructional spaces and equipment to better reflect current workplace technology and practices, particularly in fields such as health care and manufacturing.  

President Fisher 

Kirkwood President Kristie Fisher emphasized that modernization means more than just making these spaces look new; it’s about making sure students are being trained with the modern equipment and tools they will encounter in their future careers. Working in updated labs and classrooms is a vital part of that. However, passing the bond will be necessary to update those learning spaces. 

“These projects are so expensive that if you don’t pass a bond issue, you just don’t get to do them,” Fisher said, explaining that if the bond doesn’t pass, it would take approximately 20 years to complete the necessary updates to Jones Hall alone.  

“If the bond issue is able to pay for Jones Hall, the health sciences and some of the business and IT, it means our other facilities’ dollars can be used for refreshing other spaces or smaller labs, so it’s really kind of this big trickle-down effect,” said Fisher.  

Whether students are in favor of the bond or not, Fisher emphasized how important it is for students to exercise their civil rights.  

“First of all: vote. It’s so important to vote whether the bond issue is on there or not. I really hope students will vote,” said Fisher, “and I hope they’ll take time to get informed whether it’s about the bond issue or about any of the candidates that are running. Be a voter and be informed so that when you go in to vote, you can know you’re making good choices.” 

Fisher encouraged voters to consider how past investments have shaped Kirkwood and how today’s decisions could affect future generations. 

“It’s folks in the past who decided to make investments in Kirkwood, which is why we have the facilities we have now,” said Fisher, “and that’s why we’re asking today’s voters will make another investment that’ll benefit the future as well.” 

Construction on campus 

If the bond passes, construction and renovation projects would affect several areas of Kirkwood’s campus. 

“I would say that students with the projects that are picked for the bond referendum won’t see an impact for up to 12 to 15 months,” said Troy McQuillen, vice president of facilities. “It could be just over a year before we even put a shovel to the ground as far as any of the projects are concerned.” 

According to McQuillen, the plan is to start with the agricultural enterprise projects, followed by a remodel of Jones Hall, before moving to the Linn Hall health area and finally Nielson Hall’s IT section. 

“We’re talking about a total renovation of these spaces,” said McQuillen. “Each program is impacted a little differently.” 

Jones Hall is one area that will undergo a complete transformation.  

“If you can imagine, when you walk into Jones Hall after the renovations, it won’t look likely anything close to what it looks like today,” said McQuillen.  

Linn Hall won’t be altered as much, added McQuillen, since the building was previously renovated between 2010 and 2013. 

The goal of the college is to get as many of these projects done during the summertime, when fewer students are on campus, to limit the potential academic impact of the remodel. 

Many classes will be relocated during the renovations to limit the impact on learning. Most of these transitions will happen between semesters so students are not being relocated mid-semester. 

“We will try our best not to disrupt or interrupt programs mid-semester,” McQuillen added.

McQuillen added, “It just depends on how the phasing works, but any major interruptions will happen in between semesters.” 

Bond to impact students beyond main campus 

The last time Kirkwood passed a bond was in 2017, where 69% of voters supported the $60 million bond.  

More than half of that amount was allocated for Iowa Hall improvements, the most prominent being a new student center. Another portion was set aside for renovations to Kirkwood’s Iowa City Regional Center. 

If the 2026 bond passes, most of the money would be put toward the main campus in Cedar Rapids. While most updates would take place in Linn County, there are 17 other counties voting for the bond referendum and six Kirkwood regional centers that would not be getting direct attention. 

Vice President of Academic Affairs Jennifer Bradley said that gives even more reason for people in those counties to consider the bond. 

“Those folks all got trained at Kirkwood,” Bradley said. “So an investment in our facilities is an investment in our students, and our students come from all of those areas and, more importantly, go back and work in those areas.” 

According to Bradley, the regional centers across Iowa would still benefit from the bond. $4.5 million would be set aside for high-demand active-learning classrooms, including at the regional centers.  

“Some of those regional centers will have updates to their classrooms, and it’s important to know that,” she said.  

If the bond passes, it would still benefit students and people who aren’t immediately impacted by the current bond outline. 

“When we’re able to use the bond money to cover projects that we’ve outlined, it frees up that other money to do other projects,” said Bradley.  

“In the end, all students will benefit because it frees up money to be able to do other projects that will support other programs. In some ways, a vote ‘yes’ for our bond is a vote for themselves and investing in their futures and the futures of the students who are coming here.” 

What students need to know  

The bond vote is set to have an impact on students going into high-demand careers. These fields include nursing, healthcare, agriculture, business, IT and manufacturing. Specifically, the agricultural department will receive a new machine shop, animal feed storage space, roadway improvements, parking improvements and better access for students, visitors and industry partners.  

“We’re always looking at safety things and how we can improve things and make things safer to create a more welcoming learning environment, and this will definitely do that for students,” said Brad Kinsinger, dean of the agriculture science program. 

With a new machine shop, there will be additional space for more students to work on projects comfortably. Kinsinger said he is excited for the new opportunity students will have to learn in a more open, comfortable and safer environment.   

“The facilities that students are going to get to learn in and enhance their learning and providing a welcoming space for them is just an exciting thing,” he said. 

This goes for the other departments included in the bond as well. Kendra Lindloff, dean of the health sciences program at, emphasized how important it is for students to be fully informed on the bond. 

“I want students to know that this is an investment in them.” she said. “Every improvement we’re talking about is focused on helping them have a better learning experience and giving them the tools they need to be successful after graduation.” 

The health science program will receive updated simulation equipment to help prepare students for a changing and evolving healthcare field. The equipment will help students learn in a comfortable environment that will help them be prepared for real world clinicals and give them confidence in the future.