Des Moines schools received a whopping $41 million in the latest round of CARES Act funding — more than any other Iowa school district.

Why it matters: The money comes as budget cuts loom, and are expected to be steeper due to the impact of COVID-19, Shashank Aurora, the district's chief financial officer, told Linh in an interview.

Driving the cuts:

• Fall 2020 enrollment dropped by 1,165 students, potentially losing the district $8 million in state aid.
• At-home learning contributed to a drop in revenues in FY 2021, while expenses remained the same.
• For example: DMPS kept nutrition staff on payroll, but school lunches were down a third, leading to a $1.5 million loss last year, Aurora said.

DMPS plans to cut $20 million from FY 2022 — $6 million more than the initial $14 million reduction plan.

• Everything is on the table, including possible staff and program cuts, Aurora told Linh.

DMPS has until September 2023 to spend the CARES Act money, but Aurora said there are some immediate expenses they plan to cover:

• Substitute teacher bonuses, which are being used to incentivize those educators to return to classrooms. $200k.
• Paid leave. $500k.
• Metro Kids Care. The district's childcare service is still paying staff, though student attendance is down to a quarter of what it was pre-pandemic. $1m.
• Technology and hot spot leases. $1m.

Iowa's new law requiring daily in-person classes will continue to strain the budget, Aurora said, though there may be some indirect savings as well.

• PPE and cleaning costs will increase, but the district may gain revenue from lunches and after-school programs, Aurora said.

Future budget cuts depend on the funding Iowa legislators set this session, Aurora said.

• Gov. Kim Reynolds recommended a 2.5% increase in supplemental state aid.

Polk County’s elected officials will get a 3% pay hike starting July 1, approved this week in a 3-2 vote by the Board of Supervisors.

• The increases were recommended by a county compensation board, which compared total compensation with like-sized counties.

Making the most each year:

• County Attorney John Sarcone: $219,381
• Sheriff Kevin Schneider: $182,549

The others will best Gov. Kim Reynolds' $130,000 annual salary (set by the Legislature) by $214:

• Supervisors: Robert Brownell, Angela Connolly, Steve Van Oort, Tom Hockensmith, Matt McCoy
• Auditor: Jamie Fitzgerald
• Recorder: Julie Haggerty
• Treasurer: Currently vacant following the death last month of Mary Maloney.

Voting against their raises: Brownell and McCoy

Casey's General Store is offering its employees $50 to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Driving the news: Gas station employees are front-facing and "essential," per a statement from CEO Darren Rebelez.

• "That's why Casey's is strongly recommending team members receive the COVID-19 vaccination," he said.

Both doses are required to get the bonus, said Casey's spokesperson Katie Petru. The extra money will be added to paychecks following proof of vaccination.

🛍 H&M and Floor & Décor are opening stores in the metro. (Business Record)

💉 COVID-19 infections are down across the state. Iowa is expected to get a larger supply of vaccines starting as soon as this week. (KCCI)

🕋 The Market District warehouse —the former location of the Garden Nightclub — is gearing up for a $6.3 million renovation. (Business Record)

👩‍⚖️ DMACC is being sued by a former mortuary science student alleging she was sexually harassed by her instructor in an embalming room. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

😔 A man involved in a crash last week in Perry that killed a mother and injured her son had been arrested for driving drunk on at least four previous occasions. He’s being held on a $500,000 bond while the accident is being investigated. (Des Moines Register)(Subscriber content)

One Waukee High School student is on a mission to provide menstrual products to Des Moines-area women unable to afford them.

Why it matters: Period poverty is a public health crisis that has long been taboo, and robs women of a basic need.

Context: Maanya Pandey started the nonprofit “Love For Red” last year after she learned about a lack of community resources for women.

• The group has already provided more than 6,000 products to six local youth, homeless or women's shelters.
• Because of health concerns surrounding COVID-19, the org is currently only accepting monetary donations.
• Every $20 helps supply one person with enough products to last up to six cycles.

Be smart: Thousands of women in the United States can’t afford period products. And the problem has gotten worse since the pandemic.

• In the past, women have turned to socks, rags and even cardboard in place of tampons or pads, according to some journal articles and news reports.
• The alternatives can result in diseases and infections.

Get involved: Donations are accepted on the group’s website. You may also call 515-505-1917 or email [email protected].

• Worthy of your time: We live here and — like you — care about our community. Reply to this newsletter and tell us about other problems that need fixing, or fixers we should spotlight.

Four women now represent Iowa in Congress, a record for the state.

• But the count slipped in the Iowa Legislature, where there are 43 women, two fewer than the record set in 2019.

By the numbers: Fewer women ran for seats in the Iowa Legislature in 2020. Last year, 33.6% of state legislative candidates were women, compared to 35.3% in 2018.

The trailblazers:

• Carolyn Campbell Pendray, a Democrat, became the first woman elected to the Iowa Legislature in 1928.
• Sen. Joni Ernst (R) became the first woman Iowa sent to Congress when she was elected in November 2014.
• Rep. Cindy Axne (D) was elected in the 2018 midterms. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) and Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) are the latest to join the club this year.

🏠 Feeling cramped in your house? This 9,549 square-foot "shop house" in Ankeny has room inside for you *and* your four cars.

• A shop house, aka a "shouse," has living and workspace areas.

🌳 For $999,000, this 16-acre lot shelters you from the drama of city living. Surround yourself with trees and enjoy your very own pond.

🛁 Pamper yourself in your own hot tub and lounge around in your 3-bed, 3-bath home.

✈️ And you can catch a flight on your plane at the nearby Ankeny airport.

• The exact address is 6681 NE Berwick Dr. in Ankeny.

See more photos.