May 7, 2020
The school district is committed to keeping you updated throughout the COVID-19 closure of Des Moines Public Schools' buildings and our completion of the school year through distance learning. Today we share information for parents about an immunization requirement for students who will be entering grades 7 and 12 next school year along with a fun video from the staff at Central Campus, plus reminders about next week's AP exams and our virtual budget forum.

Since DMPS announced our initial closure in response to COVID-19 back on March 12, we have sent emails every weekday to our families and staff with updates related to the the pandemic. In fact, during those 56 days we have sent 44 emails (not counting communications to parents from schools and teachers). Now that most things are in place to finish this school year, we're going to slow these emails down a little bit. We will continue to share news, updates and reminders in this email, just look for it 2-3 days each week in your inbox.
2020-21 IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENT FOR GRADES 7 & 12 
We realize 2019-20 is an unusual school year as we work around the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. However, the State of Iowa's immunization requirements for the 2020-21 school year have not changed.  For students entering 7th and 12th grades, Des Moines Public Schools recommends making a vaccination appointment with a physician as soon as possible to avoid long wait times. Students without the Meningococcal vaccination, or a waiver, will be sent home on the first day of school. This is a state requirement, and not under the district's control. Click here for more information.
THE FASHION SHOW MUST GO ON
The Central Campus Fashion Show is one of our favorite events of the year ... and, unfortunately due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is one more event that had to be cancelled. So the staff at Central did a runway walk to honor teacher Tracy Holland and her fashion design students. See the results for yourself on YouTube.
REMINDER: AP EXAMS BEGIN NEXT WEEK
Due to the closure of thousands of school districts across the nation, Advanced Placement  exam s are being done online this year starting next week. AP exams will be given between May 11-22. Students who have registered for this year's exams have been receiving updates from their teachers and/or schools.  We've also updated our AP exam page with reminders about what to prepare for starting next week. 
REMINDER: FY2021 VIRTUAL BUDGET FORUM
Rather than our normal process of holding public forums in late March and early April, DMPS consulted with the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Department of Management, the Polk County Auditor, and the Iowa Assoc iation of School Boards to develop a new plan to present and approve our budget.  This year the school district is holding an online budget forum. How does it work? Simply view the video on our web site at the link below, with Superintendent Tom Ahart and CFO Shashank Aurora presenting details about the proposed budget. Then, if you have a question or comment, just complete the online form.  Click here to visit our FY 2021 Virtual Budget Forum.
A NOTE ABOUT MEALS FOR OUR STUDENTS
Throughout the COVID-19 school building closure, Des Moines Public Schools is serving approximately 10,000 breakfasts and 10,000  lunches per weekday. Even as we do our best to prepare for turnout at all 50 of our meal distribution sites, we are still running out of food at some locations.  Our goal is to make sure that no Des Moines child goes hungry in our city, and the United States Department of Agriculture provides the district funding for meals with the understanding that the meals will feed children in need who are ages 1-18 . It is up to each family to determine what need looks like during this uncertain time in our world. We appreciate the support of our DMPS community in following these guidelines to help us make sure every hungry child has enough to eat.  Rain or shine, we will be at all 50 meal distribution sites each weekday from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM to serve our kids. Click here to see a list of the meal sites.  Be sure to see the map on this web page to find the site most convenient for you.
CORONAVIRUS: RELY ON THE EXPERTS FOR INFORMATION
Accurate health information about COVID-19 is important as people around the world respond to help put an end to this global pandemic. Stay informed and look for information on Coronavirus from reliable and trusted expert sources:
It is the policy of the Des Moines Community School District not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you believe you (or your child) have been discriminated against or treated unjustly at school, please contact Susan Tallman, 2100 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321; phone: 515-242-7709; email: [email protected].