Jennifer Wells Will Join West Des Moines School Board; Elizabeth Brennan, Vicky Poole Return

The executive director of a nonprofit group that works to increase mental health programming in schools is the newest member of the West Des Moines School Board. Jennifer Wells was among three candidates elected by voters on Tuesday, Sept. 12. She and two incumbents returning to the board will be sworn in Monday, Sept. 25.

All three selected by the voters have career experience in education. In addition to working for the nonprofit Please Pass the Love, Wells is an adjunct professor at Drake University and formerly taught special education in the district.

Incumbent Elizabeth Brennan graduated from the West Des Moines district and is a preschool teacher at Montessori Children’s House and a former ESOL teacher with the district. Incumbent Vicky Poole retired as principal of Valley High School.

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Brennan was the top vote getter with 1,385 votes (29.5 percent of the vote), according to official vote totals from the Polk County Election Office. Wells received 1,223 votes (26.1 percent) and Poole garnered 1,136 votes (24.2 percent).

The race included a fourth candidate, Kelly Davydov, who was unsuccessful in her bid with 895 votes. Incumbent Tali Greenspon, the current board president, did not seek re-election.

Voters in the district also overwhelmingly supported the renewal of the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) with a vote of 1,465 in favor and 326 against, according to election office results. The levy was set to expire in 2021, but now will continue through 2031. PPEL money, which is generated through property taxes, may be used for facility upgrades, construction, safety improvements and computer and other technology improvements.

Information on the school district’s website touts a strong commercial property tax base for allowing West Des Moines to have the “lowest property tax rate by 32 percent when compared to 20 Iowa school districts with similar student enrollment.” The district also noted that PPEL money and proceeds from the statewide one-cent sales tax will “continue our ability to make facility and site improvements throughout the district for the next 10 years and beyond.”

West Des Moines schools have used PPEL for more than 60 years and sought the renewal of the levy at the highest rate allowed by the state, $1.34 per $1,000 of property valuation.

New board members will be sworn in when the board meets at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25, at the Learning Resource Center, 3550 Mills Civic Parkway, for its annual organizational meeting. A reception for board members precedes the meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Photo from WDM Schools website