Even before all the precincts were counted, Des Moines Public Schools officials were confidently declaring victory for its $265 million bond to pay for its ambitious Reimagining Education, Reinvigorating Schools plan.
By the time the final vote was counted, their confidence had been vindicated.
Almost 74% of voters cast ballots in favor of the bond, far surpassing the 60% approval it needed to pass in Tuesday, Nov. 4, election.
As the bond issue cruised to victory, Des Moines Interim Superintendent Matt Smith delivered the news to cheers and whistles during a watch party hosted by Yes for Des Moines Schools at Christopher’s.
The community showed up for students by passing the bond, Smith told the Des Moines Register.
“That’s not just a victory; that is a decisive victory,” Smith said. “That is a decisive vote. Folks want to invest in the education of 30,000 kids, in the 30,000 kids of tomorrow.”
The yes vote means DMPS can move forward with its Reimagining Education plan that over the next five years would implement improvements such as signature schools, enhanced STEM and career and technical education (CTE) opportunities, and improved athletics and arts facilities.
For the next 20 years, the general obligation bond means a homeowner with a home valued at $200,000 would pay about $188 more a year in additional property taxes.
2025 Des Moines Public Measure DM
Issues up to $265 million in bonds to implement the Reimagining Education Plan, including renovations and additions at district buildings.
*Denotes incumbent • Last updated: 21:50, 11/04/2025
The five-year, multimillion-dollar Reimagining Education initiative includes updates to buildings and technology; adds more hands-on learning opportunities; offers programs such as all-day, 4-year-old preschool and creates “signature schools” to specialize in topics such as STEM and the arts.
DMPS officials hope the changes will improve student outcomes in a district that has been losing kids. The plan was created over two years and included a committee of 80 people.
Construction projects, including a new elementary school,will be rolled out over the next five years.
The runup to the vote was marred by the Sept. 26 immigration arrest of former-Superintendent Ian Roberts for overstaying a 2024 deportation order.
Roberts, a Guyana native, remains in federal custody on charges he lied on employment forms to conceal his immigration status and illegally possessed multiple firearms.
In the aftermath, members of the public have called for the school board to resign, state and federal agencies have opened investigations into DMPS’ hiring practices and district officials’ formerly requested a financial audit by the state.
“I think that the voters realize that the things that we want to invest in, whether it was preschool or career and technical education, these are things that matter to our community,” said Jackie Norris, the board’s outgoing-chair, told the Register about the bond’s passage. “And honestly, I think that our community realized that there’s 30,000 kids who need this investment, and we’re willing to believe in Des Moines Public Schools because we’re more than just one person.”
In an effort to help restore the public’s trust, school officials appointed a Reimagining Education Bond Oversight Committee to oversee the financial aspects of the plan.
“We’re going to absolutely be amazing stewards of this honor and this gift that you have provided us,” Smith said at the same event. “We’ve got the oversight committee that will be here with us. We will be very, very transparent. and we will give information out step by step about what’s happening with the bond.”
After Roberts’ arrest, officials and volunteers continued to remind the community that Reimagining Education was and remains a community-based plan, Smith said in an interview.
“It was built by the community with the community and honestly for our students and for the community,” he said. “That never wavered. That never changed. So, what we just needed to do was emphasize that.”
Major changes coming to DMPS
DMPS officials have already laid out a timeline for closing buildings and beginning construction projects.
Even before the bond passed, school officials announced Walnut Street Elementary School would be the first to close at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
Harding Middle School and Howe Elementary School will be shuttered by 2032 and 2031 respectively.
Reimagining Education also calls for Moulton Elementary School’s aging building to be razed in preparation for the new $42 million Moulton Arts Academy, a performing and visual arts signature school, by the 2028-29 school year. During construction, students will likely attend classes at the Kurtz Opportunity Center building.
District teachers are excited about Reimagining Education and ready to get to work, said Anne Cross, Des Moines Education Association president, in an interview with the Des Moines Register.
“I think everybody is a little shocked that it passed, and a little shocked that it passed so overwhelmingly,” Cross said. And they’re excited to see the community support for the kids that they love.”
District will still face challenges
Even those who voted against the bond are still hoping Reimagining Education is a success.
Ross Peterson, a father of two and a proud East High School graduate, voted no for the bond because of DMPS’ lagging student achievement scores and Roberts’ arrest.
“If I’m being honest with myself, I think that had Ian Roberts not been arrested, I probably would have believed a little bit more in the leadership,” Peterson said.
The arrest paired with the district’s struggling schools and a second administrator being placed on paid-administrative leave pushed him to vote no.
Peterson hopes officials can address outstanding issues and deliver on their Reimagining Education promises.
The bond’s passage does not mean Iowa’s largest school district will not face financial challenges going forward because public schools remain under funded, Norris said.
“I think people need to understand that there still are going to be budget cuts ahead, and that is a function of a state legislature that regularly underfunds public education and impacts our ability to deliver world class education,” she said.
Before Tuesday’s vote, district officials warned there would be widespread budget cuts, layoffs and school closures if the measure failed.
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