DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines Public Schools presented a revised plan that slashes the original bond referendum in half and speeds up the timeline, which they hope to pass in the fall.
Plans to redesign education in the metro began earlier this year. Over the past few years, learning has changed, and DMPS says they need to catch up.
“We re-imagine education because we can no longer maintain spaces that do not meet the needs of our students, are outdated, and inefficient, and do not serve our enrollment patterns,” said Matt Smith, DMPS Associate Superintendent.
DMPS says falling enrollment is the driving force behind the redesign. DMPS superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts kickstarted the redesign earlier this year using input from staff, parents, and students to build the plan.
The original plan cost $500 million and was expected to take 10 years to fully implement. The revised bond cuts that plan in half, taking 5 years and costing $265 million. However, several ideas were scaled down or cut from the revised bond.
Still included in the newer version are the addition of full-day pre-school, the creation of a regional school system as students advance through grade levels, and an expansion of career and technical education programming through upper grade levels. The addition of Signature Schools and Diploma+ will help students prepare for post-graduation.
“Not everybody is going to college, and we want to make sure that our young people have pathways, whether it be into an apprenticeship or receiving a certification and going to college, going to community college, going into public service,” Jackie Norris, DMPS Board Member, said. “There was a desire to have a lot more experiences that met students where they were.”
The funding will still pay for building improvements across most schools, the construction of 130 flexible learning spaces, and the creation of signature skills schools.
Cut from the plan are full-facility modernization, including technology upgrades across schools, and district-wide capacity adjustments aimed at addressing enrollment changes.
“We can’t afford to do that to all of our buildings, and so there are choices that we had to make,” said Norris. “Not every elementary school is going to get the full rehab that we wanted, or some elementary schools are not going to get the additional classrooms that we needed.”
The revised plan also changes the expected number of school closures. Instead of seven school closures, only Harding Middle School, Howe Elementary, and Walnut Street Elementary, along with an administration building, will be closed.
DMPS says the revised version delivers on almost all the same points and promises, but on a smaller scale and faster timelines, making it more appealing to taxpayers.
“The thing that I’m so excited about is the plan is a little smaller, but the core elements are still the same. And even more exciting, I think, for voters, for taxpayers. It’s going to be done in five years,” said Norris. “So, if you’ve got young kids, they’re going to be able to experience that when they get to middle school and high school.”
The district must now collect 7,500 signatures to put the bond on the November ballot. The referendum will need a 60 percent approval to pass in the fall.
To learn more, visit the Des Moines Public Schools Reimagining Education website.
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