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736 NOW, WHILE STUDENTS SETTLE INTO THEIR FIRST MONTH OF A BRAND NEW SCHOOL YEAR, OFFICIALS BEHIND THE SCENES OVER AT DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS DO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT REIMAGINING EDUCATION PLAN. IT’S A STORY WE’VE BEEN FOLLOWING CLOSELY FOR MONTHS NOW. IT’S NOW BEEN REVISED $265 MILLION INITIATIVE MEANT TO ADDRESS DECLINING ENROLLMENT WHILE CREATING OPPORTUNITIES. SO, DOCTOR IAN ROBERTS, YOU’RE SPEARHEADING THIS INITIATIVE BEHIND THE SCENES. A LOT HAS GONE ON IN THE FEW MONTHS. SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. THANKS FOR HAVING ME, NICOLE. IT’S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. YEAH. SO WE KNOW THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IS YOUR REVISED PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED IN JULY. AND NOW VOLUNTEERS ARE OUT THERE COLLECTING SIGNATURES FOR A PETITION. HOW IS THAT GOING? BEFORE THE TUESDAY DEADLINE? THANK YOU. IT’S GOING VERY WELL. LOOK, THE SIGNATURE COLLECTION PROCESS IS ONE THAT INVOLVES A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. THAT INCLUDES PARENTS, MEMBERS OF OUR FAITH BASED COMMUNITY, EVEN MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. AND THEY HAVE BEEN COLLECTING SIGNATURES, WHICH IS A REQUIRED SORT OF PROCESS IN ORDER FOR US TO GET THIS OFFICIAL BOND ON THE BALLOT. AND THUS FAR, WE KNOW WE WANT TO COME TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AT A BOARD MEETING AND THIS COMING TUESDAY, SO THE BOARD CAN ADOPT A RESOLUTION. AND WE HAVE THE UTMOST CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY’S INVESTMENT, THAT WE WILL GET THAT AMOUNT OF ALMOST A LITTLE OVER 7000 SIGNATURES. YEAH, I GUESS THE EXACT AMOUNT IS 7224. HOPEFULLY THAT MEANS YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD. WHAT DOES THAT TIME PERIOD LOOK LIKE BETWEEN NOW TO NOVEMBER? IF IT DOES GET ON THE BALLOT TO CONVINCE THOSE VOTERS WHO MAY NOT HAVE CHILDREN IN THE DISTRICT TO TO VOTE FOR THIS BALLOT. ABSOLUTELY. SO LOOK, THE REIMAGINE EDUCATION PLAN IS AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO NOT ONLY REIMAGINE WHAT IS HAPPENING EDUCATIONALLY IN DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BUT HERE’S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT ONLY INSTILLING THE CONFIDENCE IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS, BUT WE KNOW THAT ONCE WE HAVE STRONG PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO SEE A THRIVING DES MOINES AND CENTRAL IOWA. AND SO THE REIMAGINE EDUCATION PLAN IS THE MORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FIVE YEAR PLAN TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING OUR STUDENTS, EVERY STUDENT WHO KNOCK ON OUR DOORS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE UPDATED AND MORE SOPHISTICATED INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS, WE WANT TO FOCUS ON INCREASING PRESCHOOL ACCESS TO PRESCHOOL FOR NOT ONLY OUR STUDENTS, BUT OUR PARENTS OR WORKING PARENTS IS REALLY CRITICAL. THE PLAN ALLOWS US TO EXTEND AND EXPAND THAT. IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON OUR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THE PLAN WILL ALLOW US TO NOT ONLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON EVERY SINGLE STUDENT WHO KNOCK ON OUR DOORS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, BUT THE PLAN IS ONE THAT WILL ENSURE THAT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL TRULY GET BACK TO THAT PLACE OF PREEMINENCE, OF BEING NOT ONLY IOWA’S LARGEST PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, BUT ONE OF THE HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL SYSTEMS. YEAH, WE HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT. I MEAN, THIS IS FOR YEARS TO COME FOR STUDENTS IN NEXT GENERATIONS. HOW DO YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU WANT TO REVISE? THERE’S A LONG LIST AND DECIDED THAT THESE OF WHAT YOU KEPT IN THIS $265 MILLION PLAN IS WHAT’S NEEDED RIGHT NOW FOR THESE DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOL FAMILIES. ABSOLUTELY. SO EVEN AS WE THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO PUT INTO THE PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT RECEIVES A WORLD CLASS EDUCATION? WE WERE ALSO THINKING ABOUT WHAT WILL BE THE IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY. AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE PUSHING THE PLAN AND SHARING IT, IT’S AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT $200 A YEAR, AND THE MATH TELLS US IT’S ABOUT $16 EVERY SINGLE MONTH. AND THAT INVESTMENT ALLOWS US TO OFFER OUR STUDENTS WHAT WE’RE CALLING SIGNATURE SCHOOLS, WHERE WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT PROGRAMS. THAT INCLUDES HEALTH SCIENCES. WE KNOW THAT THERE’S A GREAT DEMAND FOR THAT. AND I SHARED EARLIER, BUT PRESCHOOL PRESCHOOL IS ONE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE. BUT EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT WHO IS ENROLLED IN DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHEN THEY WALK ACROSS THE STAGE AT GRADUATION, THEY WILL BE READY TO EITHER ENROLL IN A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY OF THEIR CHOICE AND ENLIST IN THE MILITARY OR ANY BRANCH OF THE MILITARY, OR BE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED WITH AN INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATE. SO TO REIMAGINE EDUCATION FOR US IS MORE THAN JUST A FIVE YEAR PLAN. IT’S A GENERATIONALLY IMPACTED PLAN. AND THE COMMUNITY THUS FAR, THE DES MOINES COMMUNITY, THEY HAVE SAID, LOOK, HERE’S A THUMBS UP. WE SEE WHAT YOU’RE DOING. YOU’VE LISTENED TO US, AND NOW YOU’VE GATHERED THE SIGNATURES. LET’S GO FORWARD AND TRULY MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR THIS COMMUNITY. YEAH, WELL, WATCH FOR TUESDAY. GOOD LUCK WITH THIS INITIATIVE. SO MANY STEPS. AGAIN, IT’S A GENERATIONAL IMPACT THAT YOU’RE SPEARHEADING. SO THANK YOU AGA