Des Moines Public Schools enrollment declines by 600+ students

Des Moines Public Schools enrollment declined by 677 students in comparison to last year, according to 2025-26 certified enrollment numbers.

Why it matters: The loss hurts the district's budget, and the drop underscores a longer-term enrollment decline the district is trying to reverse.

State of play: At its peak in 2017-18, DMPS had about 33,057 students. This school year, there are about 30,160.

• The city's population also peaked around 2017, with an estimated 217,500 people living in Des Moines proper. As of 2024, the U.S. Census estimates around 213,100 residents.

What they're saying: DMPS lost students during periods of online and hybrid learning in 2020 and 2021, school board chairperson Kim Martorano tells Axios.

• But she also attributes the decline to state law changes, including using tax dollars to pay for private school tuition, expanding charter schools and changes in the open enrollment law.
• In 2024-25, 2,242 students who live within DMPS' district boundaries utilized the state's private school tuition program. That grew to 3,121 this year, per the Iowa Department of Education.
• "Public school districts are operating in a more competitive education environment across the Des Moines metro," Martorano said in an email.

The other side: Gov. Kim Reynolds has said the recent laws expand education options for families who previously couldn't afford them.

What's next: DMPS is leaning into its Reimagining Education initiative, after voters approved a $265 million bond referendum in November.

• The plan will restructure its schools, build new facilities, and allow students to specialize in fields, including medical sciences and fine arts.
• While changes won't happen overnight, Martorano says these initiatives will hopefully slow the district's changes and help make DMPS a "destination district."