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Des Moines Public Schools is asking voters to approve a $265 million bond as part of its "Reimagining Education" plan, which aims to modernize school facilities and improve academic outcomes. If the bond gains enough signatures to make it onto the November ballot, taxpayers in the district will ultimately decide its fate.Advocates for the proposal have hit the campaign trail to gather 9,000 signatures by Sept. 1. Among them is Des Moines mom Natalie Merill, who said her passion for investing in public schools drew her to the campaign. "If we don't have strong schools within Des Moines, you know, it's not great for people who are looking to live here," Merill said. "We want our neighborhoods to be strong and united together behind strong public schools."While Merill acknowledges the plan comes with an additional cost, she said she believes it’s a necessary step to keep Des Moines competitive with surrounding districts and prevent families from leaving the city.“We’ll lose people to the suburbs, to other districts, if we’re not making this investment. And it’s been quite a while since Des Moines asked for residents to do this for our schools,” she said.Merill also shared her excitement about specific elements of the proposal, including the expansion of preschool programs. For older students, Merill said she is looking forward to the new signature schools, including specialized STEM and STEAM programs.“It really allows the kids to step into it and see, is that something they’re going to want to do long term?” Merill said. If approved by voters, the proposal would come with an additional annual cost to taxpayers. The tax increase would vary based on home value, adding an estimated $94 a year for someone who owns a $100,000 home and $378 annually for someone with a $500,000 home. Sarah Curry, Iowans for Tax Relief research director, expressed concerns about how that financial burden could impact local residents.“$200 — that’s two trips to the grocery store, and that does add up over time,” Curry said. She also questioned what the additional investment would deliver for taxpayers.“Is it just going to be the same thing with a bigger classroom or new art on the walls? Or is it going to be, actually, like, better teachers, better curriculum?” Curry said. "I think those questions need to be asked."Curry points to student performance data — in particular, a graduation rate of 71% and the fact that only 43% of third graders are reading at grade level — as indicators of the district’s challenges."If my student's school is performing at one hundred percent proficiency and all the kids are going to Harvard and MIT, I don't care as much about my high property tax values. But if the kids are dropping out, they can't pass basic grade levels. They're not going on to community college, trade school, or university. Then I start having questions," Curry said. "Then I say, why do I have high property taxes and poor performance? And that I think is the discussion taxpayers need to have."The district originally sought $500 million for the initiative, but scaled down the request after concerns were raised about the cost to taxpayers. Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts said this plan balances those concerns with the district’s need to improve facilities and meet the demands of modern education. “It’s truly a plan to educate and update our educational environment to meet the needs of modern learning, new teaching methods,” Roberts said.He also pushes back on critics, arguing that Des Moines taxpayers are seeing a return on investment."If the only measure of the return on investment is based on proficiency scores, then the myopic look on how Des Moines Public Schools is performing will not paint a true picture," he said. Roberts said, for example, the district is outperforming the rest of the state in how it serves English language learners. He also said the district's academic growth is improving."I’ll tell you — this year’s data, every single grade level in Des Moines Public Schools that took the state assessments in science increased significantly. In English Language Arts, out of the nine grade levels that took our state assessments, seven of them improved and grew," Roberts said. According to Roberts, the Reimagining Education plan would expand those achievements and promote growth in other areas. He said the bond would fund improvements to 72 buildings across the district’s 64 schools, which he said would extend benefits beyond the classroom.“The investment in these new and updated buildings will not only support Des Moines Public School students by providing them a world-class education, but it’s going to increase property values, spur economic growth, and boost our business environment,” he said.For advocates like Merill, Roberts and district leaders, the proposal is about providing students with better opportunities and ensuring a robust future for Des Moines. But for taxpayers, the decision this November hinges on balancing the potential costs with the promised benefits to the city and its schools.