New Leadership for Iowa’s Largest Provider of PK-12 Education
On May 16, the School Board approved the appointment of Dr. Ian Roberts as the next Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools.
The Des Moines School Board has completed its work in selecting a new Superintendent for Iowa’s capitol city school district. On May 16, 2023 the Board unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Ian Roberts to lead the state’s largest provider of PK-12 education.
The following links provide additional information about this appointment:
- Click here for a press release and biography on Dr. Robert’s appointment.
- Click here for a copy of the Superintendent’s contract.
Because this process has concluded there will be no further updates made to the web pages within this section.
Background on Des Moines Public Schools
The Des Moines Independent Community School District (DMPS) is Iowa’s largest provider of PK-12 education, serving over 30,000 students from preschool through high school at more than 60 schools throughout the state’s capitol city.
DMPS serves a diverse community of learners and families, providing a rich array of cultures and experiences in our schools. Students come to Des Moines from a hundred different nations around the world. Nearly two-thirds of the district’s enrollment are students of color and more than one out of five are English Language Learners.
DMPS is also the fifth largest employer in central Iowa, with more than 4,700 educators, administrators and support staff working to meet the needs of our students. The school district’s current annual expenditures are over $600 million.
Finally, DMPS provides an array of educational programming to prepare students for their future. Examples include one of the nation’s leading career and technical education programs at Central Campus; some of Iowa’s top-ranked Advanced Placement opportunities at Central Academy and our five comprehensive high schools; the first online secondary school developed in Iowa at Virtual Campus; two elementary schools (Downtown and Walnut Street) located in the city’s core business district; the state’s only public Montessori program at Cowles Montessori School; four dedicated early childhood learning centers for our youngest students; and much more.