Whether the primary role of schools is to support society or to allow individuals to maximize their earning potential, there is a need for educational opportunities to be offered equitably to all students. The Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) district has been dealing with this issue in terms of racial equality for over fifty years. A June 28, 2007, U.S. Supreme Court decision in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, et al. and a subsequent rule change by the Iowa Department of Education (DE) have forced DMPS to revisit its policies on school integration yet again.
The court decision removed race as a primary factor in making school assignments. The DE’s proposed administrative rule change redefines “minority student” so a local school board may choose to implement a diversity plan using any combination of socioeconomic status, ethnicity/national origin, English language learner status, or race, so long as race is not the sole or the determinative factor. Previously, DE defined a minority student as being Black (not of Hispanic origin), Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native, or Asian/Pacific Islander. Des Moines, Waterloo, Davenport, West Liberty, and Postville are the only districts in the state affected by this rule. Burlington had a desegregation plan but does not now qualify for a diversity plan.
School boards that had a desegregation plan have until March 1, 2008, to adopt a diversity plan. If there is no plan by that date, the state prohibits the board from having any plan in the future. This demand for a rushed decision was a major point of concern for board members and for the commenting public at the January 22, 2008, DMPS School Board meeting.
The DE’s proposed rules were released in mid-November 2007. The DMPS took time for a legal review and to talk with other districts. The previous DMPS school board meeting was on January 8th, the same date as the DE hearing. The next school board meeting will be on February 5th, one day before the DE’s expected approval. That leaves just the February 19th meeting at which to accept any diversity plan before the state’s deadline.
Superintendent Dr. Nancy Sebring, legal counsel Beth Nigut, and other district staff presented a workshop on the rule to the board. Assisting them was Drew Bracken of the Ahlers Law Firm. A representative from the DE was invited to participate but was unable to attend. The recommendation made to the board was to base a diversity plan on socioeconomic status. Bracken was adamant that any plan including a racial component would be struck down by the courts. The socioeconomic identifier that the staff recommended is eligibility for a free or reduced-price lunch. With approximately 60% of DMPS students so eligible, this standard raised questions about its effectiveness in terms of integrated schools. Since it is possible to modify diversity plans, which must be approved by the state, the school board may choose to adopt a plan that leans heavily towards observing what happens with open enrollment while still allowing itself the option for a more rigid plan in the future.
Current desegregation procedures under open enrollment mean that for every minority student allowed to leave a school, two whites are allowed to leave. Consequently, some students are denied permission to leave their schools. White flight under open enrollment was raised during the discussion, albeit not without rejection of the idea by some people. Open enrollment also allows for students to continue in their old schools when they move out of a district. If a school’s enrollment mix moves more than 15% above the racial balance, then that school is closed to open enrollment.
Desegregation plans, and possibly diversity plans, help control movement of students under open enrollment. Some of the state’s other districts needing to consider diversity plans have surrounding school districts that are short of students. Ellen McGinnis-Smith, working on student and family issues for the DMPS, said that in the Des Moines metropolitan area students are moving westward. This means West Des Moines students may attend Waukee schools and Des Moines students may go to West Des Moines. However, there are a couple elementary grades in West Des Moines that are close to their maximum capacity which would limit the number of Des Moines students who could open enroll there.
Discussion on the diversity plan strayed into talk of neighborhood schools, busing, and students who take some courses in Des Moines but are counted as being out of district. Public comments also noted that diversity extends beyond the few categories permitted by the DE. A few people were concerned that diversity and open enrollment were just a political tactic by outside interests to promote vouchers.
M.R. Field covers the DMPS school board meetings for AroundDesMoines.com. 
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