Crews have started tearing down a Des Moines school building that dates to 1895 to build a new one. Des Moines Public Schools began demolishing the former Moulton Elementary building at 1541 8th St. on Oct. 19 to make way for Moulton Arts Academy, the Business Record reported.
The new school
Moulton Arts Academy will be a DMPS Signature School focused on the performing and visual arts, serving about 800 students from pre-K through eighth grade. It's slated to open for the 2028-29 school year, according to the Business Record.
The project will cost $42 million. It's part of the district's Reimagining Education initiative, which includes developing signature or magnet schools in three regions, expanding all-day preschool, adding more than 120 new classrooms designed for hands-on, project-based learning and expanding the Montessori program. Voters approved a $265 million bond in 2025 to modernize Des Moines schools, the Business Record reported.
Superintendent Matt Smith said the arts academy will be a space for music, acting, painting, sculpting, drawing and dance.
Why the old building is coming down
Moulton Elementary's poor condition and rising repair costs led the district to replace it, according to the Business Record.
"This decision to tear down a building with that kind of history is not one to be made lightly, and yet standing here now, I'm reminded of why we made that decision," Smith said.
The building at Eighth Street and College Avenue was first built in 1895 as North High School. It was expanded in 1914-1915 and again in 1930. After North High moved to Holcomb Avenue in 1957, the original building was extensively renovated and reopened in 1962 as Moulton Elementary, the Business Record reported.
A time capsule from 1914
At the demolition kickoff, Smith and Mayor Connie Boesen helped the construction crew pull a time capsule from behind the building's 1914 cornerstone. The Des Moines Public Library will open the capsule, believed to be about 112 years old, at a later date and invite the public to see what's inside, according to the Business Record.
Bekah Harris, lead project manager for Reimagining Education, climbed behind the controls of a construction machine to start the demolition.
Enrollment
The arts academy will be open to any Des Moines student. Students who live in the Moulton attendance area get first priority, followed by students in the same region and then other DMPS students. A district spokesperson said the goal is a lottery-based enrollment process.
Why it matters for contractors
A $42 million K-8 school is a substantial public job, and this one is part of a larger $265 million bond program, which means more school construction work is moving through Des Moines over the next few years. The Reimagining Education plan's 120-plus new classrooms, expanded preschool and new signature schools all point to ongoing work for general contractors, MEP trades and finish contractors who handle public education projects.
The arts focus brings specialty scopes. A performing and visual arts school typically needs spaces like rehearsal rooms, performance areas and art studios, with attention to acoustics, theatrical lighting and rigging, sound isolation and durable finishes for messy studio work. Contractors with that experience may find the bid packages a good fit. The Business Record did not report the project's design team or contractors.
Demolishing a building with parts dating to 1895 also calls for careful work, including hazardous materials abatement, which is common in buildings of that age, and handling of historic elements like the cornerstone. With an opening targeted for 2028-29, construction will likely run through the next two years. Contractors interested in the district's bond work should watch DMPS bid announcements.