We are ALL WDMCS

With the option of online instruction for the 2020-21 school year at WDMCS, placements at our elementary schools have been a top priority. As a result, it has caused a delay in the WDMCS Transportation Department's process of sending ridership materials for your student.

We wanted to provide an updated timeline for when families can expect to receive this information. Here is what you need to know:

• Our intention is to mail your student’s bus pass, bus stop details, and pick-up/drop-off information by Friday, August 21.

• Families should receive these materials by Wednesday, August 26.

• If families do not receive their student’s materials by then, please call 515-633-4902 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Aug. 26 to speak with a WDMCS Transportation representative who will provide you with your student’s ridership information. Your student will be allowed to ride the bus to and from school without their pass until it is received.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about our district’s transportation services for the upcoming school year, please do not hesitate to contact the WDMCS Transportation Department at 515-633-4902.

View more info about WDMCS Transportation online >

We send important updates to families through email, phone, text, and smartphone app posts. Because of the volume of recipients, some email and text notifications are delayed.

The WDMCS app is the FASTEST way to get the most up-to-date communication about the coronavirus and any other relevant information for families from WDMCS.

To download the free app, go to Google Play or the App Store on your phone and look up "West Des Moines Community Schools."

Questions? Email scroffice@wdmcs.org.

View app tutorials on our YouTube Channel >

Review WDMCS illness and medication guidelines >

Access health and medication forms >

On-Site Meal Ordering

Elementary students will place lunch orders with their homeroom teachers in the morning.

• They will still have three meal choices each day.

• Meals will be delivered to the classrooms at lunch time.

• Teachers will receive training on meal ordering, meal delivery, cleaning and sanitizing desks and trays, and managing food allergies during meals.

• Breakfasts will be available for students in their classrooms at the beginning of the day.

Junior high and high school students will order meals daily using a Google form or app to streamline meal preparation and pick-up.

• Until the app is available in mid-September, a link to an order form customized with the day’s meals will be emailed to students each morning.

• School staff will receive instructions for supporting students who did not place orders for the day.

To keep meal lines as short as possible, there will be multiple stations and times for meal pick-up assigned by either homeroom or alphabetically by last name. Then, students will eat in classrooms or other designated areas where they can safely observe social distancing.

Please note: WDMCS Nutrition Services is not able to accept cash payments in the line at this time. This is to support the district’s current health and safety protocol and decrease the chance of exposure by keeping meal service efficient. Payments can be taken to the school office, brought to the Learning Resource Center (3550 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines), or made online.

Make a meal payment >

Meal Pick-Up for Online Learners

Online learners will have the opportunity to order meals for pick-up at their choice of four locations.

• Meal boxes will include: five breakfast and five lunch entrees, 10 half-cup servings each of fruit and vegetables, 10 4 oz. juice cups, and two half-gallons of milk (choice of chocolate, skim, and 1%).

• Weekly cost: $25 ($3.50 reduced price or free for qualified families)

• Valley High School - Pick-Up Times: Monday, 8:30-9 a.m. OR Friday, 2-2:30 p.m.
• Valley Southwoods Freshman High School - Pick-Up Times: Monday, 7-7:30 a.m. OR Friday, 2-2:30 p.m.
• Stilwell Junior High - Pick-Up Times: Monday, 8-8:30 a.m. OR Friday, 12:30-1 p.m.
• Indian Hills Junior High - Pick-Up Times: Monday, 8-8:30 a.m. OR Friday, 12:30-1 p.m.

To request a sign-up form, please contact:

• Willow Dye, Nutrition Services Director, 515-633-5086

• Lynnae Gilmore, Nutrition Secretary, 515-633-5088

Make a meal payment >

Apply for free or reduced-price meals >

Introducing Titan (Replacing SchoolCafe and Nutrislice)

Meet Titan Family Portal, a new tool that is replacing both SchoolCafé and Nutrislice. This means menu and meal information will be in one place for WDMCS families, instead of two apps or sites. Families can check student lunch accounts and see the details of their purchases on Titan. You can also view balances and purchases and set up restrictions.

Meal payments will still be made through TouchBase, our online payment processing system. Making a payment online is easy and free of charge. You can access a student account simply by typing in the student’s ID number in the username field and the student’s last name, with first letter capitalized, as the password.

Explore Titan >

Make a meal payment >

No Classroom Snacks for Safety Reasons

Student health and wellness is a top priority for the West Des Moines Community Schools. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, classroom snacks will not be allowed this year, including homemade and store-bought items and items ordered from WDMCS Nutrition Services.

Q. Can I bring homemade treats from home for a classroom party? What about pre-packed treats from a store?

A. No. WDMCS is currently not allowing classroom snacks as a COVID-19 precaution.

Q. Do I have to purchase a snack for my student that is on the approved snack list?

A. No. Students can bring their own individual snack, and it does not have to be on the list of approved snacks. The approved snack list is for snacks that will be shared with other students, such as classroom parties, birthday treats, or other events. WDMCS is currently not allowing shared classroom snacks as a COVID-19 precaution.

Classroom Snacks Web Page >