Dear EICC Community,
The Board of Trustees has approved an increase to our community college levy, an important step allowing continued investment in the core of our work: preparing students for what’s next.
For context, the increase equates to approximately $18 per year for a home valued at $150,000, about five cents a day. It is a modest investment with a direct return to our students, our workforce, and our communities. The approved rate returns the district to a level only one cent higher ($0.01242) than the levy rate in 2019.
This action addresses a long-standing reality. Our levy has been among the lowest of Iowa’s 15 community colleges. While this has kept taxpayer costs down, it has limited the ability to invest at the level required, resulting in technology, equipment, and facilities in many areas becoming outdated or in need of repair. This adjustment moves EICC closer to the middle of the state and creates a more sustainable position moving forward.
If we are going to do this work, we need to do it right.
This decision allows us to strengthen the spaces and tools most critical to student learning and workforce preparation:
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Modernizing labs so students train on equipment aligned with today’s industries
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Expanding and upgrading technology across programs and campuses
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Investing in facilities supporting hands-on, high-quality learning
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Ensuring students have access to tools needed to stay engaged and complete
This is about quality. It means a nursing student practicing in a lab mirroring a clinical setting. A science student working in a modern lab environment that prepares them for transfer and continued study. An automotive student understanding systems found in today’s vehicles. Every student gaining access to the technology required to succeed.
Paul Eisenmenger's analysis of our revenues and budget brought important context to light and helped inform this decision. Thank you to the Board of Trustees for their support and focus on the long-term needs of our students and communities.
As we make this investment, the legislative environment remains uncertain and continues to evolve. The Iowa Senate has passed a property tax bill placing caps on certain levies, while the House and Governor are advancing a proposal applying broader caps, including both fixed and variable levies. Discussion has included possible exemptions for community colleges, similar to K–12s, but no decision has been made.
The House is expected to take up and amend the Senate bill, and negotiations are ongoing. It remains unclear how community colleges will be treated in the final legislation or whether flexibility around variable levies will remain. These decisions could directly impact future investment capacity.
We will stay engaged in these conversations and continue advocating for the resources needed to serve our students and communities.
This makes the Board’s decision even more important. It puts EICC in a stronger position to move forward, focused on quality, workforce alignment, and doing right by the students and communities we serve.
Bryan Renfro, PhD
Chancellor
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
101 West Third Street, Davenport
563-336-3301