Cedar Rapids school leaders aren’t allowed to appeal directly to voters to approve a massive bond issue next month, but the state’s second largest district is offering unprecedented public tours of its aging — and in many cases century-old — facilities. Superintendent Tawana (tah-WAH-nah) Grover says residents are being shown muddy football fields, tiny cafeterias, and popular Career and Technical Education facilities that are bursting at the seams.

Robert Johnson, an associate principal at Cedar Rapids’ Kennedy High School, says the district wants students to try out career-oriented classes like welding, but the slots go quickly. Johnson says an interested freshman likely won’t get a chance until they’re an upperclassman.

If residents say yes to the bond, the district would get Career and Technical Ed additions to three buildings, a new middle school and more. The bond issues are divided into two phases totaling 445-million dollars, making it the largest school bond in Iowa history. This November, Cedar Rapids is asking for the first 220-million. With it, all buildings in the district would be new or recently-renovated by 2037.