Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts says DMPS expects a loss in enrollment within the next few years as the ESA program continues to progress.
DES MOINES, Iowa — It’s been almost a year since Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the Students First Act, a law which provides Iowa students money to put toward private school tuition and other related costs through an Education Savings Accounts (ESA).
In October, the Iowa Department of Education denied thousands of applications based on “residency or household income requirements,” but approved more than 18,000 applications to provide around $7,600 per student.
The department told Local 5 on Wednesday there are no final numbers yet on how many ESA vouchers have been cashed by students and their families.
Some students may choose to use the ESA funding to attend a non-public school, or faith-based school, and this can impact some public schools’ enrollment. This is because students who are “assumed” to attend districts like Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) will no …