Preparing Tomorrow’s Schools. Today.

In the 21st century, Des Moines Public Schools has accomplished more than half a billion dollars in upgrades to the district’s schools, from the renovation of historic structures to the construction of brand new facilities. This ongoing capital improvement campaign has modernized our schools with enhanced technology, improved efficiency, and more comfortable and safer learning environments.

These efforts have been made possible under two community support initiatives: Schools First, a local option sales tax approved by the voters of Polk County in 1999, and Students First, funded through an extension of the sales tax by the Iowa General Assembly in 2008.

In addition to Schools First/Students First, DMPS has made an additional $50 million in maintenance expenditures to our 72 facilities through the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) during this period.

For more information on these programs and what they have meant for our school district, please visit the links to the right.