DMPS School Board Meeting 11/20/2007 - Schools First

Schools First is the name given to the program to renovate and to build schools in the Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) system with money generated from a one-cent sales tax. At the October 16th school board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Nancy Sebring and Chief Operations Officer Bill Good reported on a budget problem caused by a low appraised value on a building that was to be sold. At the November 20th meeting, Sebring and Good presented a solution that left renovations to Roosevelt High School and to Jackson Elementary School on budget and on schedule. They recommended that the Pappajohn Center not be used for the Central Campus high school. However, they left open the use of the center for other purposes. The current owners of the Pappajohn Center asked for 30 days to re-consider they’re willingness to sell the building to the DMPS.. Sebring said a professional development center could be another use for the building if the DMPS acquires it.

Sebring and Good recommended to buy the Wallace-Homestead property at 1912 Grand. This property is next to the present Central Campus. Currently gutted with some recent work done, such as mechanical system upgrades, the 1912 building would cut about $450,000 over 10 years from the estimated operating expenses of using the Pappajohn Center due to reduced need to pay for parking and busing. Talking about the Pappajohn Center, Sebring said, “We realized we’d outgrown that building before we ever got into it.” The previous plan had included building an addition to the Pappajohn Center, but limited land availability would curtail the size of the addition. When calculating how the 1912 building compares to the Pappajohn Center, Sebring and Good applied the Pappajohn space allocations to the 1912 building and found the 1912 building to have greater room for program growth. The present Central Campus building would be renovated in stages, starting with elevators, electrical, and code upgrades. Sebring suggested that the schools might work with businesses to complete renovation work.

Comments offered on the proposal were similar to opinions expressed at previous meetings. Douglas Haefele, a Johnston resident who attends high school both in Johnston and at Central Campus, spoke on behalf of 20 students who want to stay at the Pappajohn Center. Convenience to the public library and to food were important, as was a projector in every classroom. He even liked the atmosphere of downtown. Another commentator noted that the teachers liked the classroom electronics, too, when they worked.

Sharon Walsh expressed displeasure at the lack of advance notice Sebring gave to the site committee about her recommendation. Sebring and Good replied that they were not starting from scratch at the 1912 building but incorporating site committee suggestions made for the Pappajohn Center.

Most of the school board members acknowledged comments made previously. Board Member Teree Caldwell-Johnson wanted to know if inflation and increased maintenance expenses, e.g., for cleaning additional space, had been included in calculations of costs. Good replied that they had been. Caldwell-Johnson also commented that the facade of Central Campus was not the best message about downtown Des Moines that people driving from the airport could receive. Board Member Patty Link said, “I don’t have a lot to say because I haven’t had a whole lot of time to think about it.”

The future location of Scavo is still up in the air. Sebring said the district has received two grants to help rethink high school education. Where to locate Scavo might be considered within the larger consideration of what alternative education sources are wanted in Des Moines.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa and reports on school board meetings for AroundDesMoines.com.