Charter high school slated to open in Des Moines’ East Village for 2025-26 school year
Des Moines’ East Village is slated to become the home of the city’s latest charter school.
The not-for-profit Opportunity Education closed on the purchase of the Two Rivers Marketing building on Tuesday, securing a 50,000-square-foot warehouse structure with offices and 130 parking spots.
The marketing agency’s headquarters at 106 E. Sixth St. went on the market earlier this year while the company made preparations to relocate to another East Village office space. The building was remodeled in 2016 and was listed for almost $6 million.
Omaha, Nebraska-based Opportunity Education plans to convert it into Des Moines Prep, a public charter high school, in time for the 2025-26 school year. There also are plans to build a separate student center with a gym, theater and kitchen next to the school in the future.
Opportunity Education founder Joe Ricketts, a billionaire who founded what is now TD Ameritrade and whose family owns the Chicago Cubs, is covering the cost of the property and renovations, said James Troupis, Opportunity Education’s chief of schools.
Matt Lakis, who will serve as Des Moines Prep’s principal, said the building and location are a good fit for the school.
“We love the history of the building, but also the modern interior that we thought fit our approach really well,” Lakis said. “We also felt that the neighborhood was ideal (because) it allows us to draw students from all over the city and the greater Des Moines community.”
Representatives of Opportunity Education expect to enroll 150 ninth-grade students during the school’s initial year. A traffic study conducted by the city suggests that the student body eventually could expand to 800.
Opportunity Education also operates private high schools in California and Omaha and is preparing to open charter schools in Cedar Rapids and Davenport.
The nonprofit’s website says its teaching approach is based on the premise that “students learn better when they are active and engaged.”
“They learn by asking questions and seeking answers, testing potential solutions to problems, and iterative trial and error,” the website says. “Our schools prepare students for the future through rigorous course offerings and curriculum that foster creative and flexible thinking.”
Location near Capitol a plus, says principal-to-be
The East Village school would closely neighbor the burgeoning Market District to the west and a city-planned park and recreation area to the east. Though there is no timeline for the park’s construction, it could eventually include a promenade, pavilion and playground as well as basketball and multisport courts.
Lakis said the education network is excited about the location because of the East Village’s identity as an up-and-coming area and its proximity to the Iowa Capitol.
“We are uniquely placed to give our students an experience around business professionals, around different community organizations that are unlike anywhere else that I’ve been,” he said.
He previously served as a high school principal in the Woodward-Granger district and as a Des Moines Public Schools associate principal. He was a high school English teacher in the Johnston Community School District.
Charter schools growing in Iowa since passage of 2021 law
Des Moines Prep will join a growing number of charter schools opening their doors in the Des Moines metro since the Iowa Legislature’s passage of a 2021 law expanding who can open a publicly supported charter school in Iowa. Horizon Science Academy opened its doors during the 2023-24 school year, and Great Oaks High School & Career Center opened this fall.
As public schools, the charter schools receive a portion of public school funds and do not charge tuition. Critics have objected to state support for charter schools as a drain on the finances of traditional public schools.
Opportunity Education plans to open Cedar Rapids Prep in fall 2025, Troupis said, and officials have submitted an application to the Iowa Department of Education to open a school in Davenport in fall 2026.
Addison Lathers covers growth and development for the Register. Reach her at 608-931-1761 and [email protected], and follow her on X at @addisonlathers.
Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @svhernandez or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.