Des Moines Public Schools Packet Summary — June 2, 2026
The Des Moines Public Schools Board is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. at Central Campus, 1800 Grand Avenue. The agenda includes a large consent agenda, curriculum purchases, employee compensation, governance monitoring reports, a public hearing on kitchen improvements, and action related to the district’s first planned bond issuance under the 2025 Reimagining Education Plan authorization.
Key Items on the Agenda
First Bond Issuance Under the Reimagining Education Plan
The board is scheduled to consider a resolution advancing the sale of up to $100 million in General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2026. The packet identifies this as the first bond issuance from the $265 million authorization approved by voters in November 2025 for projects associated with the Reimagining Education Plan.
The proposed resolution would authorize distribution of a preliminary official statement, establish electronic bidding procedures, and set June 16, 2026 for the bond sale. The preliminary financing documents call for bids by 10:00 a.m. that day, with the board expected to consider the bond award at its 5:30 p.m. meeting.
Bond proceeds are intended to support projects aimed at expanding career and technical education, increasing pre-K education, reducing class sizes, and constructing or improving facilities across the district. The preliminary bond documents contemplate maturities from 2027 through 2046, with the final amount subject to adjustment and capped at $100 million.
Social Studies and U.S. History Curriculum
As part of the consent agenda, the superintendent recommends a $650,000 curriculum adoption for grades 6–8 Social Studies and 9th Grade Modern U.S. History.
Following a competitive procurement process, the district selected Teachers Curriculum Institute (TCI). The packet says the materials were judged to provide the most complete alignment with Iowa standards and to support inquiry, literacy, historical thinking, and consistent instruction across grade levels. Funding would come from the New Adoptions Budget.
K–12 Physical Education Curriculum
The board is also scheduled to consider a $15,000 K–12 Physical Education/Health curriculum purchase through RFP1215. The district selected PLT4M, a web-based curriculum offering workout and skill-development videos and a progression from foundational elementary skills through secondary-level lifelong fitness concepts.
The packet says PLT4M provided the strongest alignment with national standards and would support a consistent instructional sequence across elementary, middle, and high school grades.
Physical Education Waiver for 2026–2029
The superintendent recommends authorizing the district to seek physical education exemptions from the Iowa Department of Education for the 2026–2029 school years.
For high schools, the proposed model would allow physically able students to complete their annual one-eighth-unit PE requirement through a daily, one-semester course rather than PE during both semesters. District materials say the model is intended to address staffing and facility limitations while preserving room in student schedules for core, AP/dual-credit, CTE, intervention, and other coursework.
The application states that the district has 18 PE teachers across six high schools serving 8,596 students and says meeting a 180-minutes-per-week, year-round requirement would require significant additional staffing and facility capacity. The district's action plan includes a goal that by the end of Spring 2029, 70% of students will reach the “Healthy Fitness Zone” in at least three of five assessed areas on the Presidential Fitness assessment.
For alternative education settings, the packet also proposes allowing Contract PE when necessary, with students completing 15 hours of physical activity for one semester of each school year under specified monitoring and coursework requirements.
Major Financial Items
The consent agenda includes bills previously authorized and certified for payment totaling $2,713,466.80, along with several significant purchases and financial actions.
- Budgeting software: An additional $160,000 is recommended for RFP9192 Budgeting Software, which had previously been approved for $292,190. The packet attributes the increase to the complexity of migrating existing data structures, project scope changes, and additional billable hours. Funding would come from PPEL.
- Milk and dairy products: Staff recommends a $1.1 million award to Hiland Dairy Foods, LLC for 2026–27 milk and dairy products. The packet identifies Hiland as the lowest bidder meeting the required specifications and service expectations, with funding from Food and Nutrition Funds and implementation beginning July 1.
- Summer floor care: The superintendent recommends $85,701.50 for districtwide summer floor-care materials from Capital Sanitary, Nassco, and Hillyard.
- Walnut Street parking: A proposed one-year contract would provide up to $140,000 for parking at the Keck Parking Garage. DMPS initially requested 130 spaces at $85 per space per month, plus parking cards and guest validation tickets.
- Letter of credit: The board is asked to authorize renewal of a $1.65 million letter of credit through July 8, 2027. Board authorization and confirmation from the board secretary are required for Bankers Trust to issue the replacement letter of credit.
Employee Compensation and Personnel
FY27 Non-Bargained Compensation
The superintendent recommends approving compensation increases for several employee groups not represented through collective bargaining. The proposal is a one-year arrangement covering July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027:
- Paraprofessionals: 3.00%
- Specialists: 3.00%
- Child Care: 3.00%
Substitute Pay
The board is also scheduled to consider FY27 substitute compensation rates. The attached 2026–27 schedule includes a $150 daily rate for substitute teachers, increasing to $180 for long-term assignments lasting more than 10 days.
Building-assigned substitutes at designated high-need schools are listed at $200 per day. Substitute associates are listed at $113 per day, substitute clerical employees at $123, substitute nurses at $150, and sign-language interpreters at $200, with separate rates for qualifying long-term assignments.
Personnel Recommendations
The consent agenda contains personnel recommendations covering resignations and new appointments or changes. Among the proposed certified appointments is a Director of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Early Access effective July 1 at a listed salary of $128,500.
A separate informational report lists classified non-exempt employees hired between May 13 and May 26, 2026, as required by board policy.
Student Well-Being and Safety Monitoring
Guardrail 2: Social-Emotional Learning
The superintendent recommends that the board receive and accept the Guardrail 2 monitoring report as evidence of compliance with a reasonable interpretation of the board's guardrail addressing the social-emotional learning needs of staff and students.
For students in grades 6–12, favorable responses on the Panorama Student Survey's Self-Efficacy measure were 41% in Spring 2026, compared with a Spring 2027 goal of 42%. The report evaluates this measure as “Exceeding Target.”
Teacher responses tell a different story. Favorable responses on the Professional Learning about SEL measure were 51% in Spring 2026, compared with a Spring 2027 goal of 56%; the report evaluates that measure as “Insufficient Movement Toward Target.”
The report proposes continued work on consistent Tier 1 SEL supports, expanded PK–12 SEL sequencing, data-informed student supports, staff professional learning, and phased implementation of the district's Portrait of a Graduate framework during 2026–27.
Guardrail 4: Safety and Welcoming Schools
The superintendent similarly recommends receiving and accepting the Guardrail 4 monitoring report concerning psychologically and physically safe and welcoming environments.
The Spring 2026 Panorama Student Survey shows 49% favorable responses among grades 6–12 students on the School Safety measure, against a Spring 2027 goal of 51%. The report evaluates the measure as “Meeting Target.”
The report also notes that, as of May 26, 30.84% of students across all grade levels were chronically absent, compared with a stated key-result goal of reducing chronic absenteeism from 38.66% to 15%. Planned work includes strengthening Tier 1 attendance practices across all 63 schools and programs, continuing family outreach, and improving consistency in attendance practices.
Policy and Governance Items
900-Series Policies Scheduled for Approval
The superintendent recommends approval of updates to the district's 900-series School District–Community Relations policies, which received their first reading on May 19.
The packet says the series contains 16 policies, with nine included in the current update and seven previously updated in November 2025. The proposed policies address subjects including:
- News media relations, news conferences, interviews, and news releases
- Live broadcasts and recordings
- School-community groups
- Transporting students in private vehicles
- Advertising and promotion
- Community use of district buildings, sites, and equipment
- Unmanned aircraft and drones
The proposed drone policy generally prohibits possession or use of unmanned aircraft on or above district property, while allowing the superintendent or designee to make exceptions under specified conditions.
800-Series Policies — First Review
A separate set of 800-series Buildings and Sites policies is presented for first review rather than final action. The packet says 18 policies are included and six existing policies are recommended for deletion because their subjects are unnecessary or addressed elsewhere in district policy.
Topics include long-range facilities planning, site acquisition, facility naming, maintenance, emergency repairs, accessibility, energy conservation, disposition of district property, emergency operations plans, security recordings, asbestos, and radon mitigation.
The packet anticipates bringing these policies back for a second and final reading on June 16 after incorporating any recommended changes.
Public Hearing: Smouse Kitchen Improvements
The board is scheduled to hold a public hearing on CIP26059, Smouse Kitchen Updates. The superintendent recommends accepting the plans and specifications prepared by Angelo Architectural Associates and approving the plans after the hearing.
The project would update the kitchen space at Smouse Opportunity School. The packet identifies SAVE as the funding source and states that notice of the public hearing was published in the Des Moines Register on May 28.
Other Consent Items
The consent agenda also includes several operational and student-related matters:
- A proposed memorandum of understanding with Drake University Head Start covering human-resource and personnel oversight for DMPS employees fully or partially funded by Head Start during the 2026–27 program year. The agreement specifies no financial consideration between DMPS and Drake for the covered services.
- A proposed Home School Assistance Program sharing agreement with Saydel Community School District, intended to allow DMPS HSAP students to retain access to activities, academics, and eligible special education services in their resident district as shared-time students.
- A recommendation to deny one late open-enrollment application submitted after the deadline. The packet says the application cited pervasive harassment that could not be accommodated in the resident district; confidential supporting documents were provided to the board.
- Approval of the May 19, 2026 board meeting minutes and the district's attached personnel recommendations.
Public Participation
The agenda includes a public forum. People may register online or by phone before 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting, or complete a request card at the meeting location.
The packet also provides an opportunity for people to speak for up to five minutes following presentation of an agenda item, with comments required to remain germane to the agenda.
