A deeper look inside Des Moines schools' $265M bond referendum
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A design for a lab classroom in Brody Middle School. Rendering: Courtesy of Des Moines Public Schools
Des Moines voters will decide tomorrow whether to approve a $265 million bond referendum to modernize the school district's facilities.
Why it matters: Des Moines Public Schools officials say they need additional funds to cover gaps left by state appropriations — and to reinvent the district amid declining enrollment.
The big picture: The district plans to launch "signature schools" with specialized academic and career focuses — such as health sciences, the arts, and engineering — giving families the option to choose programs that match their children's interests.
The program also plans to:
- Expand access to full-day preschool and day care.
- Redesign middle schools to include more hands-on learning and smaller class sizes.
- Add 18 classrooms for Montessori programs.
Between the lines: The referendum comes just weeks after the district was roiled by scandal when ICE detained former Superintendent Ian Roberts.
- In response, the district is undergoing a state audit and formed a third-party Bond Oversight Committee this month.
By the numbers: The bond is projected to raise property taxes about $200 a year for a home assessed at around $210,000, according to DMPS estimates.
We're zooming in on some projects DMPS would undergo if the bond referendum passes:
Brody Middle School
State of play: The Reimagining Education plan calls for adding a 6,000-square-foot maker space to several middle schools, including Brody.
- The addition would be constructed around the 2031-32 school year.
Cost estimate: $6 million
Zoom in: The new addition would include a "collaborations commons," where students can gather for large group presentations and the public can use it after school for events.
- Attached to that area would be three lab classrooms, including a health-sciences lab for students interested in the medical field.
- The other labs would focus on data applications in business, finance and computer science, and on digital skills such as cybersecurity, programming and design.
McCombs Middle School
State of play: The plan calls for adding a similar 6,000 square-foot maker space, added in 2028–29.
Cost estimate: $6 million
Zoom in: Design proposals from Shive-Hattery include a flex space with labs attached.
- The entire added section would also serve as a storm shelter.
Moulton Elementary
State of play: If the referendum passes, one of the first projects the district will undergo is razing Moulton Elementary to construct a new pre-K through eighth grade arts school by the 2028–29 school year.
Cost estimate: $42 million
Zoom in: The school would focus on visual and performing arts and be open to students districtwide.