Community Forums Set for 2011 School Budget Discussion

Des Moines Public Schools will hold a series of community forums to discuss next year’s budget (fiscal year 2011). Forums will be held on the following dates and will last approximately an hour:

• Tuesday, Feb. 9, Central Campus Boardroom, 1800 Grand Ave., 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 11, Callanan Middle School, Media Center, 3010 Center St., 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 18, Greater Des Moines Partnership, 700 Locust St., Suite 100,
  Arthur Davis Room, 11:45 a.m.
• Tuesday, Feb. 23, Goodrell Middle School, Library, 3300 E. 29^th St., 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 25, Lincoln High School, Commons Area, 2600 SW 9^th St., 6 p.m.

The public is encouraged to attend a forum to talk with district representatives and school board members about concerns, as well as to have questions answered. The first forum, Tuesday, Feb. 9, also will be a live broadcast on cable Channel 12. Questions will be taken from the audience attending that evening, as well as from callers. The forum will then be rebroadcast on Channel 12 for a few weeks.

“While there are still a lot of unknown variables and the budget picture will keep evolving over the weeks and months to come, we want to clearly convey to everyone the unprecedented magnitude of what the district faces,” said Dr. Nancy Sebring, superintendent.