Des Moines schools pays out administrator $16K monthly
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Photo: Courtesy of DMPS
Des Moines Public Schools will keep paying a top administrator $16,000 a month, even though he hasn't worked since October.
Why it matters: Taxpayers are footing the bill for a $195,000 annual salaried employee who's on paid administrative leave, and district leaders have not explained the reasoning behind the arrangement.
Catch up fast: Robert Lundin was placed on paid administrative leave shortly after ICE agents detained former Superintendent Ian Roberts on Sept. 26. The district called Lundin's leave a "personnel matter."
- On Nov. 18, the school board met in closed session and accepted Lundin's resignation effective June 30, 2026, without public discussion.
What they're saying: Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, points out a state law requiring public employers to release "documented reasons and rationale" when an employee is demoted, terminated or resigns in lieu of termination.
- "Without facts and openness, only the school board members and Robert Lundin know what led to his administrative leave and then his resignation," Evans wrote. "Only the board knows whether it was as cavalier as it looks to fork over a $114,000 gift from taxpayers as he departed."
The other side: DMPS spokesperson Phil Roeder did not share a specific reason for Lundin's paid leave and noted that "it was a mutual decision and not based on any discipline or misconduct by Dr. Lundin."
- School board chair Kim Martorano did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The intrigue: DMPS has faced similar scrutiny before. In 2022, the board gave a $400,000 payout to former Superintendent Tom Ahart, who resigned a year early from his contract.
- The board also declined to share the reasoning behind the severance agreement at the time.