Educating Des Moines. Then. Now. Tomorrow.
A Documentary
November 20, 2007

It was late in the year of 1846.
The leaves were changing colors.
The weather getting cooler.
The days getting shorter.
Iowa was about to be granted statehood.
And a handful of children began attending the first school in Des Moines.

At that time Des Moines wasn’t really even Des Moines. The post office was known as Raccoon Forks, and it would be another five years before the city of Fort Des Moines was incorporated.

But as more and more people settled at the juncture of the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers, schools were a priority of the earliest residents.

Soon after the first school opened, the first public school district was formed … in 1849. And for more than half a century, new districts organized across the new city, throughout neighborhoods and in townships. One for East Des Moines, one for North Des Moines, and another for West Des Moines.

Capitol Park served the area around Union Park, while Oak Park was a prominent district on the city’s north side. The Greenwood Park district was a single building on what is now 37th Street, while the Oakdale District used a log cabin as its first school.By the early 1900s, more than 20 different school districts served the children of Des Moines.

One hundred years ago the citizens of Des Moines had a lot on their minds. They were concerned about taxes, annexation, the politics in Washington, and building a new city hall.  But they were also concerned about the future of the city’s schools. Some forward-looking leaders shared a common interest: equity. How could so many different districts best serve all the children of the same city?

And so a consolidation was proposed. Combine these districts – some big and some small, some rich and some poor – into one that would serve every student in Des Moines. As Des Moines grew and annexed several smaller townships surrounding it, some school districts began to consolidate, as well.

And by 1907, two large school districts were responsible for most of the public schools in the city: the East Des Moines School District and the West Des Moines School District – not the suburb of West Des Moines, which would be known as Valley Junction until 1937, but the area of the city that lay between the Des Moines River and 63rd Street.

But the debate continued about the need for a single school district for the city. And the initial reaction was split. Numerous articles in the Des Moines Register & Leader described the changes in attitudes and the concerns of each side. The East Des Moines school board was the first to endorse a merger while residents on the west-side were worried about higher taxes.

But one of the strongest supporters of consolidation, Drake University President Hill M. Bell, put the debate into perspective: “It is certainly futile to think of a great city here if one portion of it selfishly ignores another portion” – he said – “and I submit to you that selfishness is the only consideration that would permit the people of any district to use their influence against consolidation and a Greater Des Moines school system.”

And so the question was put to the people: “Shall all the territory within the city of Des Moines be united into one school distrct?” While one former school board member wagered “all kinds of hats and cigars that the vote will be heavy,” only 4,000 ballots were cast. But those who did – 3,078 for and 943 against – saw an opportunity to improve public education in Iowa’s capital city.On May 21, 1907 voters said yes to the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Back in 1907, Theodore Roosevelt – the namesake for a high school to open 20 years later – was President of the United States. The first Montessori school opened in Italy. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series. And seven local schools became part of the new Des Moines school district and continue to educate students to this day.

These “legacy schools” – Cattell, East, Greenwood, McKinley, North, Oak Park and Park Avenue – have a rich history that continues. While some of their walls may date back to the 19th century, they are preparing students for the 21st century.

That year, three high schools – East, North and West – became part of the new school district.

East High began in 1861, sharing space with an elementary school until getting a home of its own in 1891. Then on May 17, 1912, Principal May Goodrell and the Grand Army of the Republic color guard led a parade as students carried books and loaded furniture onto trucks and horse-drawn wagons, marching in front of a cheering crowd from their old building to their new school on East 13th , where East High continues on today.

A high school in the suburb of North Des Moines was opened in 1889, which consisted of three rooms and a hallway. Seventy years later, North High moved to their present home now attended by more than 1,100 students.West High continued to teach students for nearly two decades, until Roosevelt and Lincoln high schools opened in the 1920s to meet the demands of a growing city.

Named for a state legislator who was an early proponent for educational opportunity for all, regardless of race, Cattell School was opened in 1890. When the original building was torn down, a brand new home for Cattell School was built on the original site in 1992.

Greenwood School first opened in 1901, and the school was its own district – Greenwood Park – until it joined consolidation. Greenwood School now serves more than 450 elementary students, from first generation Americans to descendants of Des Moines’ founding families.

Greenwood’s architectural twin, McKinley School, was built in 1904. The school began with eight rooms, one for each of the eight grades that were considered elementary a century ago. Today, over 360 students are educated at this school in the heart of the city.The original part of Oak Park School opened in 1891 as part of a school district serving two neighborhoods with rich traditions – Oak Park and Highland. A century later, more than 400 students attend grades K-5 at this historic location.

On the city’s south side, Park Avenue School began in 1885 and consisted of two rooms: one with 40 students and the other with 60. Several additions later, 480 students attend this school.These seven schools were present at the creation of the Des Moines Independent Community School District. And continue to serve our community to this day.

Over the years, Des Moines Public Schools has been a leader and innovator in meeting the needs of students. In the 1940s, Des Moines was a pioneer in offering what is known today as career and technical education, helping students to prepare for their life after high school.In the 1950s, Des Moines was one of the first school districts in the nation to have student-run radio and television stations.In the 1960s, Des Moines was a leader in providing gifted and talented education, creating model programs used throughout the country.In the 1970s and 80s, Des Moines developed innovative alternative programs to help students find success outside of a traditional school.

In the one hundred years since consolidation, the Des Moines Public Schools grew along with the city of Des Moines and the world at large. The school district formed in 1907 is now the largest provider of public education in Iowa, educating more students than any of our state’s universities. Today, Des Moines Public Schools serves 33,000 students – from preschoolers to high school seniors – with the most diverse educational offerings found in the state.

Five high schools, ten middle schools and thirty-seven elementary schools are located throughout the city. And more than 5,000 educators, professionals and support staff serving the educational needs of our students.Just as the citizens of Des Moines looked for ways to improve the city’s schools in 1907 by creating one city-wide district, the people of Des Moines are keeping this spirit of excellence alive in 2007.

More than a third of the district’s school buildings have been renovated or rebuilt as part of the Schools First Initiative, giving teachers and students dynamic learning environments filled with 21st century technology.  The restructuring of the district into three regions– Northeast, Northwest, and South – is helping to better meet the needs of our diverse student population by grouping schools to create “communities within a community” – more flexibility to meet regional wants and tailor educational programs that reflect the special needs of students are the foundation of this re-alignment. 

And this tradition of excellence and innovation is reflected everyday in public schools throughout Des Moines.Nearly 2,000 students – from every Des Moines high school and middle school and more than a dozen neighboring districts – attend classes at Central Campus. The Advanced Placement program at Central Academy is ranked among the top 1% in the nation, with graduates going on to the world’s leading universities. Students at the Career and Technical Institute are recognized as the best in the nation in areas ranging from automotive technology to culinary arts to aviation. And the World Language program offers more areas of study than any place in Iowa.

Des Moines has three schools – Jefferson and Phillips elementary schools and Goodrell Middle School – that offer students a traditional curriculum and four schools – Capitol View, Downtown, Moulton and River Woods – that provide families the option of an extended-year school calendar.

Cowles School is Iowa’s only public Montessori program. Future Pathways is a groundbreaking program to provide students with a personalized education through self-designed learning and technology.Des Moines is also one of the first school districts in the nation to help working parents be closer to their children during the school day. Two schools are located in the heart of the city’s business district: the Walnut Street School adds new grades with each passing year while the Downtown School has been cited as a national example of a modern elementary school.

And the new Carver Community School is a model of educational and community programs – such as the Boys and Girls Club and an early childhood learning center – joining together at one location.

The greatest strength of Des Moines Public Schools may be its diversity: of the people who learn and teach and live here. And of the educational programs that are meeting the individual needs of individual students.

And as we begin the next hundred years, Des Moines Public Schools continues in the tradition of its founding districts … adapting and innovating to provide excellent educational opportunities to students in a brand new century.

The first 100 years have been great.
The next century can be even better.

The Des Moines Public Schools. 
Educating Des Moines. 
Then. Now. Tomorrow.