The next step under the school law of the time was to appeal the joint board’s decision to the state Department of Public Instruction. On May 18, 1959 a hearing was held before the DPI administrative board. The arguments were basically the same as those before the joint county boards. The opponents listed eight reasons why the plan should have been thrown out. The main objection was the proposed district violated “ a declared policy of the State of Iowa set forth in (the code at that time) in that it deprives a substantial portion of the Pleasant Hill Independent School District and electors thereof of the opportunity to vote the proposition."
The DPI's decision came on May 22, 1959. The administrative board did not accept any of the opponents' arguments. In fact, they said that the "appellants' purported reasons for dismissal of the instant petition was dilatory rather than factual." The opponents' request for dismissal was "quashed and rendered a nullity" by the DPI" The proposal for Southeast Polk School District was approved.
Another Court Battle
It was decided by the Board of Directors of Pleasant Hill Independent School District -- B. R. West, Vivian L. Watkins, and Frank Niccum – to take the proposal to court. Norris said, "the people of Pleasant Hill and their friends who had been financing the court costs continued to resist the formation of the district by opposing it again in the district and state supreme courts." This time, however, the objectors did not win. The district court upheld the merger plan.
For the appeals to the court system, Pleasant Hill was joined by the Des Moines Independent School District. Their argument was that if the proposed Southeast Polk became a reality, what was left of Pleasant Hill would be unable to continue as a separate school district. Since a new state law required all non-high school districts to be attached to high school districts by July 1, 1962, Des Moines feared being given Pleasant Hill. The Des Moines district argued that receiving the population of Pleasant Hill without the tax base of the Pleasant Hill industry was unfair.
When Pleasant Hill appealed the lower court ruling, Des Moines school district became part of that appeal. The Iowa Supreme Court listened to the arguments presented on both sides. In an unanimous ruling on May 30, 1961, the people of Pleasant Hill lost their school tax base. The court upheld the proposed plan and rejected all eight arguments to end the plan. Des Moines school district’s arguments were ignored since Des Moines had not been part of the proposed reorganization.
On July 20,1961, voters approved the Southeast Polk school merger 2,043 to 119. The approved plan was very similar to the one proposed in 1953. One district in Jasper County, Washington Township, and ten districts in Polk County – West Independent, Babbitt, Altoona, Clay Township, Four Mile Township, Mitchellville, Beaver Township, North Camp Township, Runnells, and the southern one-third of Pleasant Hill – were combined. The district was to become a reality on July 1, 1962.
Tax Base Taken
Once again the Pleasant Hill school district had lost its tax base. Without the taxes paid by Iowa Power and Light and the other industry in the southern part of town, the people would be pressed to provide quality education. In the 1960-61 school year, the district had 56 students in grades one through six going to the elementary building. In addition, over $22,000 was paid that year to send another 54 students to junior and senior high in Des Moines.
Pleasant Hill clearly had to be attached to some other school. This would have been the case even if it was not required for non-high school districts by 1962. There were only two districts nearby – Southeast Polk and Des Moines. There was some fear of being joined with SEP even after the long fight to stay out. However, the Polk County Board of Education on May 9, 1962 attached Pleasant Hill to the Des Moines Independent School District.