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Focus program staff and families urge board to slow reimagining and form stakeholder group
Summary
Multiple Focus program staff and family members told the Des Moines school board they are worried about plans to move district‑wide special‑education programs into a single building, saying the proposed space may be unsafe or ill‑suited for students with high behavioral and emotional needs and asking for a stakeholder working group and clearer plans.
At the Des Moines Independent Comm School District board meeting on April 7, Focus program staff and family representatives urged the board to slow implementation of the district’s reimagining plan and form a stakeholder group to guide decisions about moving district‑wide special education programs.
Caitlin Hanson, who addressed the board during public forum, thanked district leaders for listening to staff and asked the board to convene a working group of teachers, associates, support staff and partner organizations to plan any relocation of programs such as All Points Academy and Focus to Woodlawn. Hanson asked the board to ensure the building would include physical separations between programs and to preserve program choice for families.
Sophia Brooks, an associate with the Focus program, told the board the current plan “feels rushed and insufficiently thought out.” She said the building under consideration was designed for preschool students and may not provide sufficient room for more than 80 students with significant behavioral and emotional needs who require space to move and regulate. Brooks emphasized the program’s longstanding partnership with Broadlawn Medical Center, weekly one‑on‑one therapy and family involvement, saying those elements are “vital to our students’ mental health and safety.”
Audrey Clements, an elementary teacher in Focus, echoed concerns about unclear communication and potential staff burnout. She cited inequities in facility upgrades (noting a playground request that went unmet for Focus but was recently added for another program), ongoing transportation barriers for a district‑wide program whose students come from across the city, and unanswered questions about whether Focus will remain an outpatient day program and whether partner services with Broadlawn will continue.
Superintendent Smith and board members did not take action on the comments during the meeting; the board’s public‑forum rules prohibit deliberation on non‑agenda items. Board members asked staff to follow up through the district process. Several speakers requested in‑person visits so decision‑makers could observe the program and better understand staff and student needs.
The public comments were made during the board’s public forum; no motion or vote related to the Focus program was recorded that night. The board did vote on a separate set of monitoring reports and routine agenda items later in the meeting.
