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2 candidates running for at-large seat on Des Moines School Board

Logan Villhauer and Patrick Dix are both hoping to foster the future of Des Moines Public Schools.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Election season is in full swing, and this upcoming November election continues to bring new faces to the ballot. 

Two candidates are running for the at-large seat on the Des Moines School Board in an effort to support DMPS' future. 

One of those candidates is Patrick Dix, a former local news anchor. 

"People should want to come to Des Moines, and move here and raise their kids here," Dix said. "And so that means we have to have standards that are all about excellence. We have to have that expectation of one another, of our students, of our teachers, of our staff and of ourselves as parents." 

The other candidate, Logan Villhauer, announced his candidacy on Sept. 20. Villhauer is the first openly gay candidate to run for the Des Moines School Board since 1995.

"I am an advocate for every single child, parent and teacher," Villhauer said. "We need to take care of our teachers, we need to take care of our kids, we need to keep our parents engaged and involved. We all need to know our roles in what this public education system is and how we can make it better, less harmful, more inclusive and more diverse."

Villhauer, who has four younger siblings in the district, said he wants to increase inclusivity in Des Moines. He also hopes to better prepare Des Moines youth for a new and uncertain future. 

"Some of the goals that I have are really talking about developing critical thinkers," Villhauer said. "I really think that the jobs of the future are going to not be what we're, what necessarily I've been prepared for, for sure, and that's going to continue to change as technology develops."

Dix has two kids in the school district. If elected to the school board, he hopes to showcase what makes Des Moines a great place to live. 

"How can we make sure that we are working with the city and the county to make sure that we're not doubling up on services, to make sure that we know what programs are happening where, so that we can make sure that our kids are getting the services that they need or the resources they need," Dix said. "That kind of collaboration leads to a lot of creative solutions."

The election will take place on Nov. 7. If you still need to register to vote, you can do so online.

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