Iowa's Des Moines Public Schools has named a new permanent superintendent one year after former superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Des Moines School Board voted unanimously on Sept. 15 to appoint Matt Smith to the role. Smith had served as interim superintendent since September 20205, following Roberts’ arrest for allegedly staying and working in the U.S. illegally — and joined the district in 2010 as a high school principal.
Smith also previously served as interim superintendent in the 2022-23 school year, when he led the district — the largest in Iowa — through a major cybersecurity attack in January 2023.
“Matt Smith has demonstrated, time and again, that he is the right leader for Des Moines Public Schools,” said Kimberly Martorano, chair of the DMPS Board of Education, in a Sept. 15 statement. “His steady hand, deep commitment to our students and families, and proven ability to move this district forward make this an easy and unanimous decision."
District faced re-audit from state after Roberts
As a result of Roberts’ arrest, DMPS, the Iowa Department of Education and the state's Board of Educational Examiners have faced state audits. The Iowa state auditor's office shared with K-12 Dive last year that this would include a review of some licensing and background check procedures.
All public school districts in Iowa are required by law to be audited annually. As part of that process, a private firm audited Des Moines Public Schools. Following Roberts' arrest, the state auditor's office said last year that it would conduct its own audit to make sure the initial review was "accurate, complete, and in compliance with auditing standards.”
In April, the state auditor's office released its report of the re-audit. It found that between 2023 and 2025, Roberts made about $50 worth of "unsupported disbursements" and $2,160.00 in "questionable public purpose disbursements," including instances of the former superintendent using the district's procurement card.
"However, due to the District’s internal controls, these unsupported or unallowable expenses were reimbursed by the former superintendent prior to the end of his employment," the audit found.
Among the expenses under scrutiny were payments for two banquet tables related to an Iowa Juneteenth nonprofit event in 2024 and a donation payment to Habitat for Humanity related to its "2024 Women Build Luncheon." According to district officials, the practice of donating to nonprofits ended after fiscal year 2024.
The state audit results for the Iowa Department of Education and the state's Board of Educational Examiners over background check and licensing procedures have not yet been released, according to the state auditor's website.
Legal challenges ensue
In wake of Roberts' arrest, DMPS sued JG Consulting, the search firm that the Des Moines School Board tapped to help with its 2022-23 superintendent search that resulted in Roberts’ hiring. Former board chair, Jackie Norris, said in October 2025 that the search firm "failed in their duty to properly vet the candidates" and that Roberts should have never been presented as a potential superintendent.
In response, JG Consulting sued the district in February for defamation, saying that the hiring of Roberts was a result of the district's own mistakes. The firm's agreement with the district, the firm said in court documents, did not require it to confirm the immigration or work status for the superintendent candidates.
The firm also said that it could not do so, since "only an employer can conduct an I-9 or E-Verify confirmation of an employee."
However, the firm said, it flagged to the district that Roberts' "resumes contained inconsistencies."
"Ultimately, despite these red flags, the District unanimously selected Dr. Ian Roberts as the superintendent in May 2023 over a host of other potential candidates presented by JG Consulting," the firm said in its lawsuit. "The District’s decision turned out to be ruinous."
Those lawsuits are pending.
