Teachers, clinicians and parents urge board to slow merger of FOCUS therapeutic program

A stream of parents, teachers and clinical staff at Tuesday’s Des Moines Independent Comm School District meeting urged the board to pause and revise plans to merge the FOCUS therapeutic day‑treatment program into a consolidated districtwide program and to relocate it to the Woodlawn preschool building.

Jenny Shipley, a Broadlawn clinical supervisor who identified herself as part of the FOCUS partnership, told the board that FOCUS provides intensive day‑treatment services with on‑site Broadlawns clinicians and weekly psychiatric consultation that are integral to student safety. “Merging FOCUS with other DMPS programs threatens the therapeutic day‑treatment model and could compromise safety,” Shipley said.

Multiple staff members described FOCUS as operating with low student‑to‑teacher ratios, continuous clinical integration and crisis‑management systems that would not translate if the program were combined with lower‑acuity services or placed in a preschool‑configured building. Teacher Hannah Kruschel said Woodlawn lacks appropriate gym, bathroom and classroom configurations for older students and warned the physical layout could create safety and accessibility issues.

Several speakers called for the district to slow the process and convene a working group that includes frontline staff, families and Broadlawn partners to design any consolidation. “Frontline stakeholders should not just have input, but real involvement and transparency in decision‑making,” DMPS employee Caitlin Hanson said during public comment.

Superintendent Smith and Interim Chief Academic Officer Brenda Colby acknowledged the concerns and said the Office of Academics is developing staffing and implementation plans; Colby said some staffing and curriculum decisions would be phased and that the district plans to align program supports and professional development. Colby also noted the district is working on a MTSS playbook and staffing plans intended to support students with IEPs across the reimagine education effort.

What’s next: Public commenters asked the board to observe FOCUS in operation, to extend timelines, and to ensure Broadlawn remains a partner; the board did not take action on the merger at Tuesday’s meeting and directed staff to follow up with additional details and stakeholder engagement steps.