Southeast Polk board hears proposal for HEARD juvenile diversion collaborative

A presenter to the Southeast Polk Community School District board outlined HEARD, a proposed regional juvenile diversion collaborative intended to provide an intermediary option between informal police interventions and formal juvenile court.

The presenter, who described HEARD as an acronym for "human empowerment and restorative diversion," said the model grew from conversations with the Altoona Police Department and Chief Stallman and took inspiration from West Des Moines— Youth Justice Initiative (YJI). "HEARD stands for human empowerment and restorative diversion," the presenter said.

The presenter said local police officers reported a rising number of low-level offenses at middle and high schools and recurring involvement by the same small groups of juveniles. The proposed program would create intake and tracking, link youth to mentors and community supports, and collect data on referrals, mentor hours and case outcomes to guide best practices. The proposal envisions restorative circles, mediation, one-to-one mentorship, family accountability conferences and supports such as tutoring and credit recovery tied to school plans.

Board members and meeting participants raised practical questions about funding, geographic coverage and staffing. The presenter said the early model—in West Des Moines—cost roughly $100,000 annually but that Southeast Polk—s planners hoped to start smaller and scale up. "If it grows, it grows and we'll figure out where additional funding will help us," the presenter said. Potential funding sources discussed included municipal contributions, grants, private donors and a friends-group organized as a 501(c)(3).

Attendees discussed regional complexity: the district spans multiple towns and trustees asked whether cities outside Altoona would participate and how costs would be apportioned by students—home addresses. The presenter said coordinating council members represent Altoona, Pleasant Hill, parts of Des Moines and other unincorporated parts of southeastern Polk County and emphasized the collaborative—not single-agency—nature of the work.

Several board members signaled support for continued planning. One trustee said the concept is "a great idea" and another asked for more detail on likely caseloads, partner commitments and the financial ask before formal approval steps.

The presenter recommended continuing planning with the existing stakeholder group and returning to the board with more specifics on program components, expected caseloads, partner contributions, and a recommended start-up budget. No formal vote or funding commitment by the board was recorded in the meeting transcript.

The presenter invited trustees to submit questions by email and said the coordinating council would continue outreach to municipalities, nonprofit partners (including mentions of Saint Vincent de Paul and Carrying Hands in discussion), and potential funders as the plan develops.

Ending: The board indicated general support for further study and asked the presenter to return with refined estimates and a clearer request if the group seeks a district contribution. The presenter said the planning team would continue meeting and would bring a more concrete proposal back to the board.