Funds for new furniture won't automatically be part of spending for new facilities.
Some Des Moines parents and teachers are upset that school officials will no longer give an automatic allowance to purchase new furniture when buildings are constructed or renovated. Building administrators had been given a lump sum--between $100,000 and $150,000 at most elementary schools--to buy desks, chairs and other furnishings once their schools opened. They will now be required to draw from leftovers stored in the district's warehouse and make purchases on an "as needed" basis.