Key Items on the Agenda
Des Moines Community Schools has scheduled a special session for 11:45 a.m. on August 20 at 901 Walnut Street, Conference Room 609. The agenda is focused primarily on personnel recommendations, along with approval of the special-session agenda and adjournment.
- Agenda approval: The packet recommends a motion to approve the agenda as presented.
- Personnel recommendations: The superintendent recommends that the board approve a package of personnel actions covering coaching and activity stipends, certified staff appointments, and a previously approved salary change.
- Adjournment: The board is scheduled to adjourn at the conclusion of the special meeting.
Personnel Recommendations
Certified Staff Appointments
The packet proposes 17 certified staff appointments across elementary, middle and high schools, Student Services, Virtual Campus, and the Special Education High School Network. The listed positions include classroom teachers, English Language Learner teachers, special education teachers and social workers, a hard-of-hearing teacher, and a part-time vocal music teacher.
The proposed appointments carry effective dates of August 21, 2026. Listed prorated salaries range from $18,655.50 for a 0.25 vocal music teaching position at Findley Elementary to $78,258 for an English Language Learner teacher at Studebaker Elementary.
Among the proposed staffing actions:
- Student Services has three proposed Special Education Social Worker appointments, with listed prorated salaries of $56,113, $56,113, and $75,890.
- Jackson Elementary has a proposed Kindergarten Teacher appointment at $75,045 prorated.
- Virtual Campus has a proposed Language Arts Teacher appointment at $76,144 prorated.
- Goodrell Middle and Studebaker Elementary each have proposed English Language Learner teacher appointments.
- Brody Middle and McCombs Middle each have proposed Science Teacher appointments.
- The Special Education High School Network has a proposed Special Education Teacher — Strat II appointment at $50,569 prorated.
Coaching and Activity Stipends
The personnel recommendations also include 20 coaching stipend appointments for high school and middle school athletics. The assignments cover football, volleyball, cross country, tennis, swimming, and golf.
Individual stipends listed in the packet range from $1,793 to $4,160, with effective dates of August 21 or August 24, 2026. Schools represented include Roosevelt High, Lincoln High, East High, Merrill Middle, Brody Middle, Goodrell Middle, Meredith Middle, and Callanan Middle.
Previously Approved Salary Change
The personnel document lists a salary change for a nurse at Morris Elementary at $51,069 prorated, effective August 21, 2026. The packet specifically notes that this is a salary change only and that the underlying personnel action was previously approved on August 4, 2026.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The central action scheduled for this special session is the superintendent's recommendation to approve the personnel package. The packet presents the coaching stipends and certified staff appointments together as personnel recommendations for board consideration, while separately identifying the Morris Elementary nurse salary change as tied to an action already approved earlier in August.
