Des Moines Public Schools

Des Moines Public Schools
Think. Learn. Grow.
Des Moines, Iowa Midwest United States
Type	Public
Grades	PK-12
Established	May 21, 1907
Superintendent	Dr. Thomas Ahart
Accreditation	North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges The Iowa Department of Education
Schools	65
Budget	$450 Million
Students	33,000+
Teachers	2,255
Staff	5,000+ (Inc. teachers)
Athletic conference	Central Iowa Metro League
Website	http://www.dmschools.org/

The Des Moines Public Schools (The Des Moines Independent Community School District, or DMPS) is the largest public school district in Iowa. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges and the Iowa Department of Education.

The district currently serves most of the city of Des Moines as well as parts of suburban Pleasant Hill and Windsor Heights. The city is split into four different area districts. District one covers the west, two covers the north, three covers the east, and district four the south.

For over 100 years, Des Moines Public Schools has been educating the students of Iowa’s capital city. Today, it is the largest provider of public education in Iowa, with more than 33,000 students and nearly 5,000 teachers and staff at work in more than 60 schools throughout the community.

Advanced Placement Program and International Baccalaureate Programme

The school district has a well-established Advanced Placement program. Headquartered at Central Academy, the program began in the mid 1980s and is among some of the best in the United States. The program has continued to expand greatly over the last few years at all the area high schools. In 2014 and 2015 alone there were over 2,500 Advanced Placement tests taken in the district, a 250 percent increase from 2011. Since 1991, 36 State of Iowa AP Scholars have been produced by DMPS. Additionally, over 3,100 DMPS students have earned some variation of the AP Scholar award as of 2016. As of 2016, all five comprehensive high schools have earned a top 50 spot on the University of Iowa's Advanced Placement index four years running. Roosevelt High School has consistently been ranked in the top ten, Hoover High School in the top 20, and the district's Central Academy has been singled out for special recognition as the best in the state.