DES MOINES, Iowa — Administrators from both the Des Moines and West Des Moines school districts met this week, both facing a similar challenge in their schools: declining student enrollment.
On Tuesday, Des Moines Public Schools held their annual "State of the Schools" address, celebrating the district's accomplishments and acknowledging pressing issues.
The bulk of enrollment losses were a result of the pandemic, as many students opted into online learning. However, according to DMPS Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts, some parents are simply choosing to send their children elsewhere in the state.
"We're losing students, either to private schools, to charter schools, or they're moving into other public schools in different parts of central Iowa," Roberts said in the address.
Teaching positions at these schools could soon be in jeopardy; declining enrollment also means declining revenue for both districts, an issue that is openly recognized.
Proposed budget cuts within DMPS include a $1 million cut to high school staff, as well as $3 million in other staff cuts throughout the district, according to the district's Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The target budget reduction for next school year stands at $14 million.
"Whenever we begin to talk about budget cuts, there's an understandable anxiety not only about personal futures but also class sizes, having enough support staff caring for the emotional and other basic needs of our students," said Amanda Lewis, a spokesperson for DMPS.
Roberts says the proposed budget cuts are essential, but will have no impact on areas that "indirectly impact student outcomes."
Over in the West Des Moines Community School District, a similar trend. To address revenue losses, the district plans to cut "vendor services" and eliminate over a dozen teaching positions. Those budget cuts would total around $3 million.
In a statement to Local 5, a representative from the West Des Moines Community School District said that if positions were cut the district would "prioritize finding another position within our system so individuals are not displaced." The district claimed that cuts to "vendor services" would add positions by bringing in-house services rather than contracting through outside vendors.
Budgets are being considered for next school year, so the proposed cuts are not set in stone. District leaders hope to finalize the numbers in the coming months.