DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines students started a new school year Monday morning, and with a new year comes new policies.

The district is undergoing a push called Reimagine Education, which is a five-year plan to improve school facilities, academic programs, and student outcomes. As a result, students throughout the district can expect changes this school year.

New Leadership: New principals will be leading the way at 13 schools and programs, including Central Campus, Virtual Campus, North, Lincoln, and Roosevelt high schools; Goodreall, Hoyt, and McCombs middle schools; Jackson, Lovejoy, Pleasant Hill, and Samuelson elementary schools; and Ruby Van Meter.

Free Meals: For another year, DMPS will offer free breakfast and lunch for all 30,000 students every day of the school year.

“We believe that there is a positive correlation between food and nutrition and students being able to engage academically, so we are excited that we are able to offer that again this year,” said Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts.

Improved Athletic Facilities: The district is also providing opportunities for students to find success outside of the classroom. New field and eight-lane tracks are underway at Hoover and North high schools, and new tennis courts are in progress at Lincoln High School on the Brody Middle School campus.

Partnership with Des Moines Public Library: Des Moines Public Schools and the Des Moines Public Library are partnering for the first time to give students more access to the library system. The goal of this partnership is to improve reading.

ParentSquare: DMPS will use an app called ParentSquare to communicate with families. The platform will help provide translations to more than 100 languages for families to be able to access district material easily.

Roberts said this is beneficial for the district because there are students from over 110 countries in the district.

Cell Phone Policy: Elementary and middle school students must have their phones off and away during the day, and high school students must keep their phones out of sight during instructional time.

Diploma+: High school students can take part in a new program that will enhance their high school diplomas. Through Diploma+, students will be provided 11 different academic pathways, including college readiness, military intent, Career and Technical Education concentrator, internship or project, Seal of Biliteracy, and more.

Expanding Montessori Education: A fourth school will now transition into a Montessori school. Jackson Elementary School now joins Findley and Pleasant Hill elementary schools that started the program last year, and Cowles Montessori School which has over 30 years of experience with the program.

“Cowles Montessori is one of the highest performing middle schools here in the state of Iowa, so as a result, we decided to increase access to our Montessori offerings,” said Roberts.

DMPS also partnered with Drake University to offer a master’s degree in Montessori education for educators in the district.

Partnership with the University of Virginia: With the help of funding from the Iowa Department of Education, DMPS is partnering with the University of Virginia’s Partnership for Leaders in Education. This is a multi-year effort to implement effective systems of support and advanced academic achievement in 12 district schools.

Expanded Preschool: This fall, DMPS is offering school bus transportation to preschool families at all locations, ensuring families have more access to early childhood education.

Sixth Grade Changes: Four elementary schools will now add 6th grade during this school year. This includes Edmunds, Greenwood, Hillis, and South Union elementary schools. Last year, Findley Elementary served as the pilot school, and positive feedback was received.

“I’ve always wanted to have sixth grade in our building,” said Greenwood Elementary Principal Jenny Inman.

Inman said this is beneficial for students because of the lingering effects of the pandemic.

“Especially our sixth graders were the kids who were most affected by the pandemic, missing part of kindergarten and part of first grade being virtual. So, for us it’s been nice to keep them one more year,” she said.

Inman said an additional year in elementary school will help these students close the skill gaps as a result of the pandemic.

All of these changes are part of the Reimagine Education campaign, which the district said will amplify schools in the district.

The plan requires a $265 million bond that the school board will vote to place on the November ballot. In order for the school board to consider the proposal, 7,424 signatures of support are needed from the community, and DMPS is currently collecting signatures.

One Greenwood parent, Natalie Merril, is also a parent volunteer for the Reimagining Education campaign. She said the plan will help keep students enrolled in the district and will improve student outcomes.

The district will collect signatures until September 19th.