Iowa (RI) — Adam Steen, a Republican candidate for governor, says the state should take control of the Des Moines School District. The district’s superintendent was arrested by immigration agents a month ago and has been charged with falsely claiming to be a US citizen on the paperwork he filled out to be paid by the district. He’s also been charged with illegally possessing guns found in his home and a school vehicle.
Steen says having the state oversee the Des Moines district would be similar to President Trump’s order sending National Guard troops to L.A. and D.C. — cities that are being led by Democrats.
The state auditor’s office is conducting a re-audit of the district and investigating the process the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners used to grant Roberts a professional administrator’s license in 2023 when he became superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district. State Auditor Rob Sand says he had to wait for legal requests from someone within the school district before he could launch those investigations. Steen says Sand — a Democrat who’s running for governor — should have gotten involved as soon as he learned of Roberts’ arrest.
Steen says state funding of the district should be withheld until a forensic audit has been completed.
Steen made his comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa PBS. Before announcing this summer that he’d run for governor, Steen served five years as director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services — the HR agency for state government.
