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Heads up! We have scanned the upcoming agenda for West Des Moines Comm School District. We found 6 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 10) |
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District to Install In-School Therapists
The board is voting to partner with Lighthouse Counseling to provide in-person mental health therapy to students on school grounds during the school day. This creates a system for school staff to refer your child for therapy, operating outside of your presence and potentially your full awareness.
Recommended Action Plan
PACK THE ROOM: This is a critical threat to parental rights. Email the Board (contact info on the district website) and speak at the Open Forum on October 26th. Demand they vote NO on Item XIV.A: ‘Parents provide mental health care, not the school. We will not allow our schools to become clinics.’
💰 Impact: Parental Oversight
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| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 9) |
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Board to Spend $131,250 on ‘Equity’ Teacher Training
The administration is asking to approve a $131,250 contract with UnboundEd for ‘professional learning.’ The district’s own justification memo states the training is for ‘Equitable Access,’ ‘culturally relevant instruction,’ and ‘culturally responsive practices,’ replacing academic focus with ideological indoctrination for 75 staff members.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY: Email the Board (contact info on the district website) before the October 26th meeting. Ask them to vote NO on Item XIV.E: ‘Taxpayer dollars should fund academic excellence, not ideological training from outside activists. Reject the UnboundEd contract.’
💰 Impact: $131,250
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| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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Board to Lobby for School-Based Mental Health Services
Under Item X, the board will vote on its 2027 legislative priorities, which includes lobbying the state for ‘comprehensive school and community mental health systems.’ This plan calls for more in-school therapy, integrating ‘coping skills into existing curriculum,’ and creating a new ‘categorical funding stream’ for it, further medicalizing the classroom.
Recommended Action Plan
PUT PARENTS FIRST: Email the Board (contact info on the district website) and speak at the Open Forum on October 26th. Urge them to amend Item X: ‘The board’s job is to run our schools, not to lobby the state for programs that expand the school’s role into family healthcare. Remove the mental health plank from the 2027 priorities.’
💰 Impact: Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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District Approves $22,837 for More Student Screen Time
Hidden in the Bills for Payment is a $22,837 purchase of ‘IXL Learning Inc’ software, a student-facing EdTech program. The district has not provided any independent evidence that this program improves academic outcomes, nor has it disclosed how much daily screen time this adds for students.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND PROOF, NOT PRODUCTS: This was passed on the Consent Agenda (Item V.C), but it’s not too late to demand accountability. Email the Board (contact info on the district website): ‘Before any more money is spent on IXL, please publish the independent, non-vendor-supplied studies proving its academic effectiveness and a report on the total daily screen time it requires of students.’
💰 Impact: $22,837
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| MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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First Reading of Undisclosed Policy Changes
The board is holding a ‘First Reading’ for three policies (102, 603.05, and 603.09), but the agenda does not include the text of the proposed changes. This prevents parents from reviewing the policies before the board discusses them, hiding potential impacts on students and parental rights.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: The attachment for Item XI was not provided online. Go to the Official Agenda (linked above), find Item XI, and open the attached file ‘October 2026 Board Policy Committee – First Reading’ to see what these policies actually say before the board votes.
💰 Impact: Reduced Transparency
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| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
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Board Waiving Public Review to Rush Policy Changes
The administration is asking the board to ‘waive the first reading’ and immediately approve changes to policies 604.09 and 701.05. This process skips the normal public review period, rushing policies into effect without giving parents adequate time to read them and provide input.
Recommended Action Plan
DEFEND THE PROCESS: Email the Board (contact info on the district website) before the October 26th meeting. Object to Item XII: ‘Never waive a first reading. The public deserves the full, standard time to review any policy change, no matter how small you claim it is. Vote NO on waiving the first reading.’
💰 Impact: Bypassing Public Review
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“We do not co-parent with the government.”
Moms for Liberty is the nation’s largest grassroots organization fighting for parental rights. Through national members and local chapters, our work ensures parents, not the government or radical activists, make the decisions concerning the upbringing and education of their children.
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