Veteran Principal to Lead Re-Opened Moore Elementary

When Moore Elementary School re-opens in the Fall of 2015, a veteran DMPS educator will be the school’s new educational leader.

Beth Sloan, the principal at Hillis Elementary School since July 2005, will be the principal of Moore, Superintendent Tom Ahart announced today.

“For nearly a decade, Beth Sloan has not only been an excellent principal at Hillis but also an active member of the northwest Des Moines community,” said Dr. Ahart. “Beth is the right person at the right time to lead Moore as we re-open this elementary school to be an important and vibrant addition to the community.”

“This is not only a very exciting opportunity for me but, more importantly, an exciting opportunity for Des Moines as we re-open an elementary school,” added Sloan. “There will be some terrific educational options, including our work to pursue the International Baccalaureate program we plan to provide to our students and families.”

Moore closed in 2007 due to declining enrollment. The building then served as a “swing school” to provide a temporary location for schools undergoing renovations and most recently has been the location for Scavo High School. Scavo is moving to newly renovated space at Central Campus, where they will begin classes on January 5.

Thanks to increased enrollment across the district, along with population trends in Beaverdale and other parts of northwest Des Moines, the school district is re-opening Moore to provide not only additional classrooms but more educational options for Des Moines families.

Beginning in January, the Moore building will undergo a $6.6 million renovation. In addition, when it re-opens the school will begin the process of becoming an International Baccalaureate World School. Moore would be the first elementary IB school in northwest Des Moines, and provide students and families access to the IB curriculum from elementary school through middle and high school. Both Meredith Middle School and Hoover High Schools, which Moore students would go on to attend, are IB World Schools.

Moore is located at 3716 50th Street, along Douglas Avenue. For more information about the school, including how to enroll, visit moore.dmschools.org.

Sloan received both a B.S. and a Masters in Educational Administration from Iowa State University. She began her career as a special education teacher in Storm Lake in 1989. The following year Sloan joined Des Moines Public Schools, serving as a teacher, a reading facilitator and assistant principal at Cowles Montessori School before becoming principal at Hillis in 2005.