Des Moines, IA-The state’s largest school district released their overview of a decade-long plan to overhaul the school system. The plan, dubbed “Reimagining Education,” responds to years of declining enrollment and budget cuts in Des Moines Public Schools.
Since 2019, DMPS has been steadily losing students, largely through open enrollment. In the 2019-2020 school year, about 1,500 students left the district. Now, for 2024-2025, that number has almost doubled — about 2,900 transferred to neighboring suburban districts.
When students transfer out of a district, the schools they leave behind lose funding. The new district gains the funding with the incoming student. This year, about $7,800 are exchanged with each student…