DMPS braces for funding shifts, eyes long game
Why it matters: Des Moines Public Schools has already undergone millions in cuts and is trying to restructure its facilities over the next decade.
Budget changes could slow those plans.
State of play: There are no significant cuts in the $900 million budget for next year, says DMPS chief financial officer Shashank Aurora.
The budget is increasing by $17.1 million — primarily for rising salary and benefit costs.
$12.7 million of that will be covered by reserves, with the remainder covered by an increase in supplemental state aid.
The big picture: Meanwhile, the district's 10-year " Reimagining Education" plan, which includes closing and restructuring school buildings, is reliant on capital funds.
DMPS is considering a bond referendum this November to help fund that project, but potential property tax reforms by the Legislature could hurt how much it can get from tax levies.
Even if voters vote against a referendum, DMPS could still pursue its plans over a longer time frame, Aurora says.
Plus: Federal education budget cuts could also hurt the district, with DMPS potentially losing millions of dollars, Aurora says.
If Head Start — a federal child care and nutrition program — is cut, Aurora expects even deeper financial struggles.
Between the lines: School board chair Jackie Norris wants the district to use a more forward-looking budget approach, including a five-year comprehensive plan.
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The Aurora Driver is a self-driving system designed to operate multiple vehicle types, from freight-hauling trucks to ride-hailing passenger vehicles, and underpins Aurora's driver as a service products for trucking and ride-hailing. Aurora is working with industry leaders across the transportation ecosystem, including Continental, FedEx, Hirschbach, NVIDIA, PACCAR, Ryder, Schneider, Toyota, Uber, Uber Freight, Volvo Trucks, Volvo Autonomous Solutions, and Werner. To learn more, visit Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the prospects of the development, manufacturing, scaling and commercialization, and realization of the potential benefits, of the Aurora Driver and FirstLight Lidar, and related services and technology, the relationships and anticipated benefits with customers and partners, and the anticipated impact of our product on the freight industry and economy. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. For factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, please see the risks and uncertainties identified under the heading 'Risk Factors' section of Aurora Innovation, Inc.'s ('Aurora') Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') on February 14, 2025, and other documents filed by Aurora from time to time with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC website at Additional information will also be set forth in Aurora's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. All forward-looking statements reflect our beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. Aurora undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.
