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Des Moines committee launches phase two of "Reimagining Education," warns of multi-year enrollment decline
Summary
District leaders told the board that phase two of a multi-year facilities and program review will focus on enrollment trends, attendance-zone choices and fiscal trade-offs after presenters reported a multi-year enrollment decline and projected further declines that could translate into tens of millions in lost revenue.
Dr. Roberts, superintendent of the Des Moines Independent Comm School District, and Matt Smith, board liaison for the Reimagining Education committee, updated the board on phase one results and the launch of phase two of a districtwide facilities and program planning effort.
The committee flagged sustained enrollment decline as a key fiscal problem. "If you look at our peak enrollment around FY18 to now we've lost about 3,300 students," Dr. Roberts said. Presenters said projections show further declines through 2027-28 that could amount to roughly a 4,000-student loss and correspond to more than $30 million in revenue the district will no longer receive if trends continue.
Why it matters: Smith said the committee's work is meant to reconnect the district's facility footprint, program offerings and budget so the district can remain a "destination of choice" for families while optimizing existing buildings and investments. Options the presentation listed for later consideration included boundary changes, new or consolidated schools, grade-configuration changes and targeted renovations.
What the committee has done: Phase one included subcommittee deep dives, site tours and a facilities-condition assessment and reporting completed by consultant BBS; consultants from RSP and BBS were cited as supporting data collection and enrollment analysis. The committee produced belief statements intended to serve as guardrails for decisions and returned a composition update showing active membership of about 71 people drawn from staff, parents, community and students.
Next steps and timeline: Matt Smith said phase two began the night before the board meeting and will run through September; it will analyze enrollment trends, facility conditions, attendance zones and program evaluation to generate fall recommendations. The committee requested board help identifying additional parent and student representatives to improve demographic balance; presenters noted a single consistently participating student representative and asked for more students from varied grade levels and demographics to join.
What the board asked: Board members pressed for detail on funding and constraints (including how much money is restricted in specific budget "buckets"). Presenters did not provide those budget totals in the meeting and offered to return with more precise figures at a later date.
The presentation closed with the district reiterating that the planning work emphasizes student and staff experience as primary outcomes, with any facilities changes subordinate to those goals.
