Demolition Begins on Des Moines Moulton Elementary for New Arts Academy

Des Moines Public Schools began demolishing the former Moulton Elementary building at 1541 8th St. on Oct. 19, to clear the site for the new Moulton Arts Academy, which is slated to open for the 2028-29 school year, businessrecord.com reported.

New Arts School Replaces Old Building

The demolition project makes way for a signature school focused on performing and visual arts that will serve roughly 800 pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students. The $42 million construction effort forms a key part of the district’s Reimagining Education initiative, which also involves developing signature or magnet schools across three regions, expanding all-day preschool access, adding more than 120 new classrooms designed for hands-on, project-based learning, and scaling up the district’s Montessori program. Local voters previously approved a $265 million bond in 2025 to fund the modernization of Des Moines schools.

The facility at Eighth Street and College Avenue opened initially in 1895 as North High School, later expanding in 1914-1915 and 1930 before the high school relocated to Holcomb Avenue in 1957. Extensive renovations transformed the structure into Moulton Elementary, which reopened in 1962 and took its name from Emma Case Moulton, an early North High teacher. Rising repair costs and the poor condition of the historic building ultimately drove the district’s decision to replace it.

Arts Academy Sets Enrollment Priorities

Admissions for the upcoming arts academy will remain open to any Des Moines student, though specific enrollment priorities apply. Students residing within the Moulton Arts Academy neighborhood attendance area will receive first priority, followed by applicants living in the same region, with any remaining slots available to general district students via a lottery-based enrollment process intended to ensure fair access.

During the Oct. 19 demolition kickoff, construction crews assisted Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Matt Smith and Mayor Connie Boesen in extracting a time capsule concealed behind the building’s 1914 cornerstone. The Des Moines Public Library plans to open the approximately 112-year-old capsule at a future date for public viewing. While the physical structure is being cleared to establish dedicated spaces for music, acting, painting, sculpting, drawing, and dance, district officials emphasized that the underlying educational mission remains consistent with the site’s 130-year history of instruction.