Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) will add two more all-day preschool classes for 4-year-olds, expanding a partnership with the city of Des Moines. This initiative, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), aims to provide free preschool in underserved neighborhoods.
Partnership Details
The three-year partnership allocates $3.3 million of Des Moines’ federal COVID relief funds to DMPS. This funding helps cover the costs of all-day preschool classes.
Progress and Improvements
At a recent Des Moines City Council meeting, school officials reported significant academic improvements in the six ARPA-funded classrooms during the 2023-24 school year. According to the GOLD assessment, students showed major progress from fall to spring, said Kristin Rourk, the district’s director of early childhood.
Benefits of Preschool
Education advocates highlight that preschool attendance boosts academic performance and increases the likelihood of high school graduation.
Key Points About the Partnership
Is Preschool Mandatory?
No, Iowa does not require preschool attendance.
How Many Preschool Classes Are Available?
Including the six partnership classrooms, DMPS offers 28 all-day preschool classes. This number will increase to 32 next school year with the addition of two more free classes and two all-day Montessori classes, which are not free. The district also offers 72 half-day preschool classes.
“Our enrollment was a little over 1,000 for 4-year-olds in our DMPS classrooms,” Rourk said.
Why Not Universal All-Day Preschool?
Funding limitations prevent DMPS from offering universal all-day preschool. Iowa schools receive 50% of per-pupil funding per preschool student, covering 10 hours of class each week. The district funds an additional five hours. Families can pay $125 a week for all-day preschool or apply for a scholarship. ARPA-supported classrooms prioritize families earning no more than 200% above the poverty level.
Locations of ARPA-Funded Preschools
In the 2023-24 school year, ARPA-funded preschools were located at Greenwood and Carver elementary schools (two classrooms each), and Capitol View and Jackson (one classroom each). Some classrooms will move before the new school year, with two new classes at Garton and Madison elementary schools.
Enrollment Process
Families should contact the district’s Welcome Center at the Kurtz Opportunity Center, 1000 Porter Ave., Des Moines, to check for openings.
Student Assessment Scores
In the fall, students scored 43% in social-emotional skills, improving to 96% by spring. Language skills rose from 47% to 98%, cognitive skills from 48% to 98%, literacy from 39% to 99%, math from 18% to 97%, and physical skills from 82% to 99%.
DMPS Superintendent Ian Roberts noted that elementary students who attended DMPS preschools perform better academically than those who did not, with differences as high as 32 percentage points.
Future Funding
The ARPA funding agreement provides $1.3 million for the 2023-24 school year, $1 million for 2024-25, and $1 million for 2025-26. The hope is that by the end of the third year, lawmakers will approve all-day funding for universal 4-year-old preschool.
Allocation of Funds
The $3.3 million funds are used for staffing, including benefits, and for classroom furniture and materials.
