DES MOINES – Auditor of state Rob Sand today (Monday) held a news conference with Des Moines Independent Community School District Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts to tout the success of Des Moines Public Schools’ food rescue program as participants in the Auditor’s Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) program. Auditor Sand also announced winners across the state of Iowa. (See the list below)

“Food rescue is exactly the kind of innovation we had in mind when we first created the PIE program four years ago,” said Sand in advance of the event. “Where compassion and innovation meet lies efficiency, and I’m proud that we get to present our first 2023 award to the folks at Des Moines Independent Community School District—they’ve gone above and beyond to reduce waste and improve support for the most vulnerable members of the communities they serve.”

Sand created the PIE program in 2019 to encourage public entities across Iowa to think outside the box and spark innovative ideas to save public funds. The PIE program checklist provides local leaders with tools to collaborate and share their concepts, known as PIE recipes, via the Auditor of State’s website.

“While food rescue is just one of the items on our checklist of PIE recipes, it’s one worth sharing far and wide,” said Sand, noting that during a time of higher costs for families, many struggle to make ends meet—even grappling with food insecurity. Sand continued, “PIE provides local leaders with an easy, streamlined sharing process—that’s why each year, we’ve seen more engagement than the last.”

The PIE program has proven so successful that the Mississippi State Auditor, a Republican, copied the program for use in his own state—even using the same name. “The appeal of PIE is that everybody likes good government—Republican, Democratic, or independent. Good government shouldn’t have partisan blinders,” said Sand. Sand will hand-deliver a pie to officials in each community at a later date.
2023 PIE Award Recipients
Counties
Largest County: Polk
Smallest County: Ringgold
Best Performing County, Overall: Fayette
Best Performing Counties, Awarded Within Categories of Size: Johnson, Fayette, Clayton, Montgomery, Pocahontas
Most Improved County: Polk
Cities
Largest City: Cedar Rapids
Smallest City: Beaconsfield
Best Performing City, Overall: Cedar Rapids
Best Performing Cities, Awarded Within Categories of Size: Cedar Rapids, Guttenberg, Alleman & Grand Mount (TIE), Plainfield, Garden Grove
School Districts
Largest School District: Des Moines Public Schools
Smallest School District: Olin Community Schools
Best Performing School District, Overall: Iowa City Community Schools
Best Performing 4A School District: Iowa City Community Schools
Runner-Up Best Performing 4A School District: Des Moines Public Schools
Best Performing 3A School District: Greene County Community Schools
Runner-Up Best Performing 3A School District: Okoboji Community Schools
Best Performing 2A School District: North Cedar Community Schools
Runner-Up Best Performing 2A School District: Bedford Community Schools
Best Performing 1A School District: Hamburg Community Schools
Runner-Up Best Performing 1A School District: Olin Community Schools
Most Improved School District: Norwalk Community Schools.