In June of 1968, the Linn-Mar Board of Directors approved the purchase of six acres of land on Bowman Road NE in Cedar Rapids. (It was renamed Boyson Road in 1976.) The property was purchased from Thomas and Jean Evans for $7,413. This would become the site of Bowman Woods Elementary.
The school was named after the new housing development that was rapidly growing nearby. Display ads in the Cedar Rapids Gazette referred to the area as “the country club you live in”. Development around the school continued at a rapid pace for years to come.
Bowman Woods Elementary was scheduled to open its doors on August 26, 1969, under the leadership of the school’s first Principal, Roger Messerly. Various construction issues delayed the opening of the new building. The first Bowman Woods students attended classes in two portable classrooms next to Indian Creek Elementary.
Once the building was completed during the school year, Bowman Woods had a staff of 23.
In the early days of Bowman Woods, there was an administrative building that housed the library, art and music rooms, an all-purpose room, and two classroom pods. The pods contained six rooms. To keep up with continued student population growth, additions were made over the next several years. A third pod, toward the back of the building, was added for the oldest students.
The school went through an extensive renovation in 1995. Another new pod was added to house a much-improved media center.
In 2002, a new gymnasium was added to the school, and the multi-purpose room was divided into classroom space.
In 1995, the school received a First in the Nation in Education (FINE) award for its school-wide assistance program that focused on activities and support groups to make school a success for all students. The school was also a FINE award recipient in 1994 for its special programs. The school offered over 20 different clubs and coop groups that students could volunteer for or were recommended to.
TIMELINE
- 1968 – Bowman Woods constructed
- 1969 – Bowman Woods “opens” August 25
- 1969 – Bowman Woods officially completed featuring a central office, two classroom pods, and a multi-purpose room
- 1970 – One pod featuring six classrooms, two kindergarten rooms added
- 1995 – New media center added, extensive renovation
- 2002 – New gymnasium added/Former Multi-purpose room remodeled for classrooms
- 2010 – Classroom renovations
- 2019 – Extensive renovations- new flooring, improved lighting
The school’s Code of Cooperation, “The Pride Starts Here,” is based on the following principles: Promoting Positive Attitudes, Respect Yourself and Others, Insist on Your Personal Best, Discuss and Listen Actively, Expect Honesty, and Be Trustworthy.
Today, Bowman Woods Principal Tina March and a staff of more than 65 provide a strong academic start to more than 480 students in grades K-4.