Matt Smith appointed permanent Des Moines Public Schools superintendent

The Des Moines School Board has voted unanimously to appoint Matt Smith as the permanent superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Iowa’s largest school district. Smith, who has over 25 years of experience in public education, has served as the interim superintendent since September 26, 2025.

Smith’s priorities for the district include improving literacy outcomes, increasing graduation rates, and advancing the “Reimagining Education” initiative. He has also been credited with expanding outreach for multilingual families. His compensation package includes a monthly vehicle reimbursement, funding for an executive coach, and a district retirement contribution set at 25% of his base salary.

Smith succeeds Ian Roberts, who is currently serving a two-year federal prison sentence in Illinois. Roberts was arrested by ICE agents after being found with a firearm in a district vehicle. He pleaded guilty to lying about his citizenship and illegal possession of firearms. Following his sentence, Roberts is expected to be deported to Guyana.