Best Public Schools in Des Moines, IA

Summary:

The Des Moines, Iowa area is home to 60 schools, including 41 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 7 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The schools in this district serve a diverse student population and exhibit a wide range of academic performance, with some standout institutions and others facing significant challenges.

A few schools stand out as high-performing outliers, including Cowles Elementary School and Merrill Middle School, which rank among the top schools in the state. At the elementary level, Downtown School has consistently high proficiency rates that far exceed the district and state averages. In contrast, the Des Moines Independent Community School District as a whole is ranked 301 out of 309 districts in Iowa and is rated 0 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger, indicating significant systemic challenges.

The data reveals stark disparities in academic performance between schools, with some institutions like King Elementary struggling with proficiency rates as low as 15.6% in 3rd grade English Language Arts, while others like Cowles Elementary boast exceptional proficiency across all grade levels and subject areas. Addressing these inequities will require a multifaceted approach targeting resource allocation, instructional practices, and support for students and families across the district.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)									ISASP Mathematics (2024)									ISASP Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Downtown School	Public	K-5	1800 Grand Avenue	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 284-5848	235	9	26.2	18.7%	154 (65.5%)	22 (9.4%)	28 (11.9%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.9%)	71.2	149^th of 557 public elementary schools	73.2%		57.5	261^st of 565 public elementary schools	53.8%	112	63.6	86.4	84.2							78.8	84.1	73.7							71.1			$14,247	$621	$13,626
Hiatt Middle School	Public	6-8	1430 E. University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7774	466	36	12.8	83.7%	61 (13.1%)	101 (21.7%)	252 (54.1%)	30 (6.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.1%)	0.2	335^th of 337 public middle schools	0.6%		0.6	331^st of 334 public middle schools	0.9%	4				37.1	37.1	40.6							35.6	26.6	34.3					23.1		$16,661	$1,079	$15,582
Brody Middle School	Public	6-8	2501 Park Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8443	598	32	18.6	64.5%	278 (46.5%)	74 (12.4%)	177 (29.6%)	26 (4.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.5%)	6.6	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%		2.3	325^th of 334 public middle schools	2.7%	5				52.8	52.2	59.9							46.7	42.3	63.4					45.1		$14,143	$628	$13,515
Capitol View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	320 E. 16th	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8402	545	44	12.3	85.3%	108 (19.8%)	103 (18.9%)	290 (53.2%)	18 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.4%)	5.3	532^nd of 557 public elementary schools	4.5%		5.2	542^nd of 565 public elementary schools	4.1%	10	33.3	50.7	46.0							50.0	50.7	38.1							31.7			$18,793	$3,389	$15,405
Callanan Middle School	Public	6-8	3010 Center Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8101	543	33	16.5	74.0%	142 (26.2%)	213 (39.2%)	113 (20.8%)	22 (4.1%)	3 (0.6%)	5 (0.9%)	43 (7.9%)	6.9	319^th of 337 public middle schools	5.3%		7.2	316^th of 334 public middle schools	5.4%	3				51.1	56.1	64.4							44.4	42.4	57.1					50.3		$15,075	$880	$14,196
Cattell Elementary School	Public	K-5	3101 E 12th St	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8403	308	29	10.5	78.9%	80 (26.0%)	67 (21.8%)	105 (34.1%)	26 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	27 (8.8%)	29.4	443^rd of 557 public elementary schools	20.5%		19.5	483^rd of 565 public elementary schools	14.5%	40	50.0	56.5	74.4							50.0	51.6	79.1							53.5			$16,110	$1,920	$14,190
East High School	Public	9-12	815 E 13th St	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7788	2,014	85	23.5	69.5%	501 (24.9%)	332 (16.5%)	915 (45.4%)	134 (6.7%)	13 (0.6%)	6 (0.3%)	110 (5.5%)	2.1	326^th of 338 public high schools	3.6%		2.6	328^th of 336 public high schools	2.4%	2							41.8	43.8	47.7							28.4	33.4	38.3			27.3	$14,908	$672	$14,236
Edmunds Elementary School	Public	K-5	950 15th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 243-1174	286	26	11.2	94.8%	20 (7.0%)	207 (72.4%)	40 (14.0%)	9 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (3.1%)	1.7	551^st of 557 public elementary schools	1.1%		1.5	559^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.1%	8	29.4	34.1	41.3							47.1	39.0	37.0							15.2			$18,276	$2,057	$16,219
Findley Elementary School	Public	K-5	3025 Oxford Street	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8407	284	25	11.4	80.6%	77 (27.1%)	57 (20.1%)	77 (27.1%)	46 (16.2%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	24 (8.5%)	10.2	513^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.9%		11	520^th of 565 public elementary schools	8.0%	7	41.5	43.2	49.0							43.9	43.2	57.1							46.9			$16,683	$1,316	$15,366
Garton Elementary	Public	K-5	2820 E 24th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8408	429	36	11.8	77.6%	96 (22.4%)	62 (14.5%)	171 (39.9%)	65 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	32 (7.5%)	12.4	499^th of 557 public elementary schools	10.4%		3.1	552^nd of 565 public elementary schools	2.3%	53	44.4	46.7	31.3							77.8	49.3	46.9							26.6			$16,721	$1,650	$15,072
Goodrell Middle School	Public	6-8	3300 E. 29th Street	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8444	493	35	14.2	74.2%	172 (34.9%)	106 (21.5%)	153 (31.0%)	28 (5.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (6.1%)	1.8	331^st of 337 public middle schools	1.8%		1.6	326^th of 334 public middle schools	2.4%	5				34.1	46.1	51.7							35.7	49.4	44.8					35.2		$15,696	$1,024	$14,672
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	316 37th Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8410	307	21	14.8	49.8%	162 (52.8%)	55 (17.9%)	35 (11.4%)	9 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	42 (13.7%)	45.1	364^th of 557 public elementary schools	34.6%		24.1	466^th of 565 public elementary schools	17.5%	102	68.8	52.3	74.2							87.5	52.3	71.0							64.5			$16,236	$666	$15,571
Hanawalt Elementary	Public	K-5	225 56th Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8411	317	27	11.9	46.4%	173 (54.6%)	83 (26.2%)	46 (14.5%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.5%)	50.3	325^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.7%		46.8	356^th of 565 public elementary schools	37.0%	31	64.6	70.0	72.9							77.1	76.0	64.6							56.3			$14,934	$665	$14,269
Harding Middle School	Public	6-8	203 E Euclid Ave	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8445	634	38	16.6	81.9%	100 (15.8%)	180 (28.4%)	210 (33.1%)	83 (13.1%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	54 (8.5%)	0.7	334^th of 337 public middle schools	0.9%		1.3	328^th of 334 public middle schools	1.8%	6				37.1	46.1	47.6							36.0	34.0	42.3					33.5		$13,719	$830	$12,889
Hillis Elementary School	Public	K-5	2401 56th St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8412	291	24	12.0	63.9%	105 (36.1%)	52 (17.9%)	72 (24.7%)	36 (12.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.6%)	17.8	479^th of 557 public elementary schools	14.0%		13.4	513^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.2%	34	44.7	50.0	55.0							60.4	45.2	65.9							51.2			$16,776	$1,702	$15,074
Hoover High School	Public	9-12	4800 Aurora Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7300	923	41	22.5	69.7%	174 (18.9%)	303 (32.8%)	231 (25.0%)	149 (16.1%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (6.2%)	4.8	321^st of 338 public high schools	5.0%		7.8	316^th of 336 public high schools	6.0%	5							42.2	55.6	48.3							28.8	43.1	38.9			38.1	$17,790	$689	$17,101
Howe Elementary	Public	K-5	2900 Indianola	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8413	303	25	11.9	77.9%	78 (25.7%)	58 (19.1%)	125 (41.3%)	29 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.3%)	11.2	506^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.2%		15.7	501^st of 565 public elementary schools	11.3%	5	28.0	48.6	54.0							46.0	43.2	64.0							40.0			$16,527	$1,727	$14,800
Hoyt Middle School	Public	6-8	2700 E 42nd St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8446	486	31	15.6	70.8%	219 (45.1%)	80 (16.5%)	134 (27.6%)	17 (3.5%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (6.0%)	1.3	332^nd of 337 public middle schools	1.5%		1.3	329^th of 334 public middle schools	1.5%	3				45.5	50.0	52.6							41.3	32.5	42.2					36.4		$14,771	$931	$13,840
Hubbell Elementary	Public	K-5	800 42nd St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8414	383	26	14.9	40.2%	235 (61.4%)	61 (15.9%)	50 (13.1%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.4%)	45.4	360^th of 557 public elementary schools	35.4%		38.5	407^th of 565 public elementary schools	28.0%	47	78.0	63.3	66.2							83.1	61.7	66.2							52.1			$14,542	$654	$13,888
Jackson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3825 Indianola Ave	Des Moines	50320	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8415	495	33	14.8	72.5%	108 (21.8%)	99 (20.0%)	187 (37.8%)	66 (13.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (6.7%)	10.2	512^th of 557 public elementary schools	8.1%		13.8	512^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.4%		38.2	55.0	47.3							48.5	63.3	52.7							28.4			$15,448	$1,376	$14,072
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	2425 Watrous Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8416	306	22	13.9	40.2%	203 (66.3%)	32 (10.5%)	37 (12.1%)	10 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.5%)	49	341^st of 557 public elementary schools	38.8%		55	283^rd of 565 public elementary schools	49.9%	58	66.0	68.0	77.6							75.5	72.0	69.4							49.0			$13,945	$622	$13,323
Lincoln High School	Public	9-12	2600 SW 9th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7500	2,441	89	27.2	66.3%	815 (33.4%)	382 (15.6%)	911 (37.3%)	188 (7.7%)	8 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	130 (5.3%)	2.7	324^th of 338 public high schools	4.1%		4.5	324^th of 336 public high schools	3.6%								43.4	45.1	47.4							30.9	37.2	37.8			33.1	$14,888	$697	$14,190
Lovejoy Elementary School	Public	K-5	801 E Kenyon Ave	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8419	412	32	12.9	82.0%	89 (21.6%)	110 (26.7%)	137 (33.3%)	44 (10.7%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	27 (6.6%)	4.1	542^nd of 557 public elementary schools	2.7%		4.6	544^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.7%	2	24.1	50.0	41.9							49.1	33.3	45.2							35.5			$17,256	$2,903	$14,353
Madison Elementary School	Public	K-5	806 E Hoffman St	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8420	247	22	11.4	80.6%	56 (22.7%)	10 (4.0%)	126 (51.0%)	32 (13.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (8.5%)	4.9	538^th of 557 public elementary schools	3.4%		2.7	555^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.8%	17	40.0	50.0	31.6							53.3	52.6	31.6							26.3			$18,238	$1,698	$16,540
King Elementary School	Public	K-5	1849 Forest Ave	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8417	273	25	10.9	91.2%	18 (6.6%)	120 (44.0%)	101 (37.0%)	22 (8.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.7%)	1	555^th of 557 public elementary schools	0.4%		0.4	565^th of 565 public elementary schools	0.0%	10	15.6	34.1	42.1							28.1	25.0	36.8							18.4			$18,403	$2,345	$16,058
McCombs Middle School	Public	6-8	201 SW County Line Rd	Des Moines	50320	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8447	644	40	16.1	77.0%	172 (26.7%)	125 (19.4%)	239 (37.1%)	59 (9.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.3%)	7.7	318^th of 337 public middle schools	5.6%		3.1	323^rd of 334 public middle schools	3.3%	5				53.2	62.6	58.5							50.2	51.6	56.4					46.3		$14,664	$1,066	$13,598
McKinley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1610 SE 6th Street	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8423	269	22	12.3	78.1%	80 (29.7%)	30 (11.2%)	122 (45.4%)	13 (4.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.6%)	8.1	519^th of 557 public elementary schools	6.8%		6.5	535^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.3%	16	31.7	41.7	54.5							39.0	52.8	57.6							33.3			$18,844	$1,470	$17,374
Meredith Middle School	Public	6-8	4827 Madison Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7250	653	46	14.2	74.3%	145 (22.2%)	211 (32.3%)	148 (22.7%)	91 (13.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (8.4%)	4.2	323^rd of 337 public middle schools	4.2%		4.6	320^th of 334 public middle schools	4.2%	3				50.0	57.6	51.4							43.4	50.0	51.6					42.7		$14,971	$1,099	$13,873
Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	651	37	17.3	36.4%	384 (59.0%)	105 (16.1%)	74 (11.4%)	22 (3.4%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	59 (9.1%)	42.5	224^th of 337 public middle schools	33.5%		42.4	220^th of 334 public middle schools	34.1%	4				73.4	73.4	77.3							70.3	67.1	69.0					65.9		$12,938	$599	$12,340
Monroe Elementary School	Public	K-5	2250 30th St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8425	377	35	10.8	88.9%	45 (11.9%)	159 (42.2%)	83 (22.0%)	67 (17.8%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	19 (5.0%)	1.8	550^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.3%		2.8	554^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.9%	4	26.1	40.0	33.3							46.8	44.0	31.5							25.9			$19,913	$3,902	$16,011
Moulton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1541 8th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8427	450	35	12.9	88.2%	37 (8.2%)	211 (46.9%)	149 (33.1%)	25 (5.6%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.3%)	7.2	526^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.6%		3.3	551^st of 565 public elementary schools	2.5%	25	31.0	40.3	42.6							29.3	38.8	63.9							36.1			$16,426	$1,675	$14,751
North High School	Public	9-12	501 Holcomb Ave	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7200	1,514	68	22.2	75.0%	301 (19.9%)	387 (25.6%)	558 (36.9%)	161 (10.6%)	11 (0.7%)	4 (0.3%)	91 (6.0%)	2.2	325^th of 338 public high schools	3.8%		2.1	329^th of 336 public high schools	2.1%	4							46.0	46.4	41.2							36.0	39.4	30.9			27.2	$15,636	$747	$14,889
Oak Park	Public	K-5	3928 6th Avenue	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8428	309	27	11.4	80.6%	83 (26.9%)	87 (28.2%)	93 (30.1%)	21 (6.8%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (7.1%)	2.7	546^th of 557 public elementary schools	2.0%		4.3	546^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.4%		38.9	50.9	36.0							41.7	30.2	29.4							25.5			$16,793	$1,701	$15,092
Park Ave Elementary School	Public	K-5	3141 SW 9th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8429	408	29	14.0	75.2%	152 (37.3%)	96 (23.5%)	105 (25.7%)	20 (4.9%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.4%)	4.4	540^th of 557 public elementary schools	3.1%		6.5	534^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.5%	6	39.2	28.6	37.1							54.9	37.5	44.4							38.1			$16,460	$1,357	$15,103
Perkins Elementary School	Public	K-5	4301 College	Des Moines	50311	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8430	444	29	15.1	55.6%	213 (48.0%)	82 (18.5%)	84 (18.9%)	21 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (9.9%)	49	342^nd of 557 public elementary schools	38.6%		39.6	402^nd of 565 public elementary schools	28.8%	60	53.8	73.7	79.1							63.1	69.7	71.6							65.7			$14,697	$1,156	$13,541
Phillips Elementary	Public	K-5	1701 Lay St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8431	254	24	10.7	68.9%	134 (52.8%)	22 (8.7%)	75 (29.5%)	7 (2.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.5%)	11.5	504^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.5%		21.7	471^st of 565 public elementary schools	16.6%	33	50.0	34.2	55.6							61.8	47.4	53.3							31.1			$16,246	$669	$15,577
Roosevelt High School	Public	9-12	4419 Center St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7272	2,039	67	30.5	47.9%	898 (44.0%)	515 (25.3%)	353 (17.3%)	71 (3.5%)	10 (0.5%)	7 (0.3%)	173 (8.5%)	22.5	290^th of 338 public high schools	14.2%		22.8	286^th of 336 public high schools	14.9%	4							66.7	63.8	60.2							56.3	57.5	53.9			43.5	$14,829	$690	$14,140
Stowe Elementary School	Public	K-5	1411 E 33rd St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8435	311	25	12.5	77.8%	107 (34.4%)	59 (19.0%)	109 (35.0%)	11 (3.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.4%)	2	548^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.6%		2.2	558^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.2%	10	28.1	38.2	27.5							25.0	23.5	49.0							17.6			$17,791	$1,908	$15,883
Studebaker Elementary School	Public	K-5	300 E County Line Rd	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8436	553	39	14.3	80.3%	179 (32.4%)	88 (15.9%)	226 (40.9%)	21 (3.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.5%)	4	543^rd of 557 public elementary schools	2.5%		4.7	543^rd of 565 public elementary schools	3.9%		34.4	50.0	36.2							53.3	38.6	44.9							26.1			$15,051	$1,299	$13,752
Morris Elementary School	Public	K-5	1401 Geil Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8421	498	37	13.5	81.5%	179 (35.9%)	73 (14.7%)	201 (40.4%)	13 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.4%)	9.4	516^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.4%		7.7	530^th of 565 public elementary schools	6.2%	14	35.4	50.0	52.5							35.4	55.4	55.9							37.3			$16,468	$1,455	$15,012
Weeks Middle School	Public	6-8	901 East Park Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8449	668	42	15.9	77.7%	132 (19.8%)	123 (18.4%)	271 (40.6%)	96 (14.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.7%)	1.3	333^rd of 337 public middle schools	1.2%		1.4	327^th of 334 public middle schools	2.1%	6				47.7	41.5	49.7							42.0	28.4	35.2					40.8		$14,586	$1,091	$13,495
Willard Elementary School	Public	K-5	2941 Dean Avenue	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8439	282	25	11.3	81.9%	96 (34.0%)	43 (15.2%)	113 (40.1%)	14 (5.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.0%)	10.9	507^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.0%		14.3	509^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.9%	2	47.1	50.0	47.6							58.8	52.2	57.1							31.0			$16,503	$1,680	$14,822
Windsor Elementary	Public	K-5	5912 University Avenue	Des Moines	50311	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8440	267	22	11.9	48.3%	147 (55.1%)	36 (13.5%)	56 (21.0%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.9%)	28	448^th of 557 public elementary schools	19.6%		35.2	428^th of 565 public elementary schools	24.2%	20	59.7	50.0	55.8							75.8	62.2	60.5							37.2			$15,936	$723	$15,213
Wright Elementary School	Public	K-5	5001 SW 14th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8442	244	22	11.0	67.2%	106 (43.4%)	28 (11.5%)	80 (32.8%)	6 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.8%)	21.3	466^th of 557 public elementary schools	16.3%		4.1	547^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.2%	81	60.6	38.5	55.3							69.7	53.8	50.0							52.6			$15,928	$1,243	$14,685
River Woods Elementary School	Public	K-5	2929 SE 22nd St	Des Moines	50320	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8433	505	44	11.5	80.4%	60 (11.9%)	99 (19.6%)	227 (45.0%)	93 (18.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.6%)	7.7	521^st of 557 public elementary schools	6.5%		18.7	489^th of 565 public elementary schools	13.5%	32	41.7	44.3	45.6							47.2	31.6	61.8							33.8			$15,278	$1,674	$13,604
Brubaker Elementary School	Public	K-5	2900 E 42nd Street	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8405	618	51	12.1	75.2%	228 (36.9%)	124 (20.1%)	178 (28.8%)	23 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	62 (10.0%)	2.6	547^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.8%		6.5	536^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.1%	11	33.7	51.4	31.3							44.6	34.9	32.5							25.0			$16,004	$1,458	$14,547
Walnut Street School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Walnut St	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8438	244	17	14.6	55.3%	77 (31.6%)	80 (32.8%)	48 (19.7%)	14 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (10.2%)	33	430^th of 557 public elementary schools	22.8%		28.8	444^th of 565 public elementary schools	21.4%	14	50.0	82.1	65.4							70.0	53.6	57.7							48.0			$16,042	$659	$15,382
South Union Elementary School	Public	K-5	4201 South Union	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8409	424	38	11.0	81.1%	107 (25.2%)	84 (19.8%)	147 (34.7%)	41 (9.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.9%)	7	528^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.2%		5.6	541^st of 565 public elementary schools	4.2%	13	38.5	51.6	44.8							55.8	37.1	53.7							31.3			$14,822	$1,433	$13,389
Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	705 E University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8418	419	36	11.7	87.4%	34 (8.1%)	100 (23.9%)	248 (59.2%)	17 (4.1%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.8%)	3.7	544^th of 557 public elementary schools	2.3%		0.8	564^th of 565 public elementary schools	0.2%	20	31.0	44.1	32.2							48.3	50.8	45.8							25.4			$17,672	$1,648	$16,024
Samuelson Elementary School	Public	K-5	3929 Bel-Aire Rd	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8441	384	34	11.4	72.9%	81 (21.1%)	97 (25.3%)	56 (14.6%)	124 (32.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	22 (5.7%)	13.8	493^rd of 557 public elementary schools	11.5%		14.2	510^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.7%	17	46.4	52.9	51.7							60.7	52.9	60.0							36.7			$15,980	$1,376	$14,603
McKee Elementary School	Public	PK	2115 E 39th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 323-8628	263	13	20.2	71.5%	122 (46.4%)	38 (14.4%)	66 (25.1%)	12 (4.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.1%)								(n/a)
Woodlawn Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	4000 Lower Beaver Rd	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8213	215	11	19.1	79.1%	64 (29.8%)	46 (21.4%)	34 (15.8%)	51 (23.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	17 (7.9%)								(n/a)
Mitchell Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	111 Porter	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8424	340	17	20.3	72.4%	106 (31.2%)	69 (20.3%)	109 (32.1%)	26 (7.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.5%)								(n/a)
Jessie Franklin Taylor	Public	PK	1801 16th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8424	194	11	17.3	82.5%	36 (18.6%)	71 (36.6%)	54 (27.8%)	18 (9.3%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	12 (6.2%)								(n/a)
Moore Elementary School	Public	K-5	3725 52nd St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8426	298	24	12.5	63.8%	101 (33.9%)	66 (22.1%)	64 (21.5%)	33 (11.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (11.1%)	10.4	510^th of 557 public elementary schools	8.4%		12.2	515^th of 565 public elementary schools	8.8%	5	38.8	66.7	38.9							55.1	49.1	30.6							22.2			$16,099	$1,236	$14,863
Ruby Van Meter	Public, Alternative	K-12	710 28th St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8220	112	23	4.9	58.9%	56 (50.0%)	20 (17.9%)	27 (24.1%)	2 (1.8%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	5 (4.5%)								(n/a)							8.3	0.0								0.0	0.0				0.0	$63,840	$14,304	$49,537
Virtual Campus	Public, Virtual	9-12	1800 Grand Avenue	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(515) 242-8502	387	21	18.7	64.1%	190 (49.1%)	44 (11.4%)	104 (26.9%)	15 (3.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.2%)	8.9	314^th of 338 public high schools	7.1%		5.2	322^nd of 336 public high schools	4.2%	8							52.1	64.3	61.1							33.3	40.0	30.1			34.3
Delaware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 E 46th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 262-3197	423	35	12.0	46.1%	264 (62.4%)	52 (12.3%)	53 (12.5%)	26 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.6%)	72.2	138^th of 557 public elementary schools	75.2%		76.7	109^th of 565 public elementary schools	80.7%	29	80.3	80.3	76.6							88.5	77.8	73.4							71.0			$15,865	$1,352	$14,513
Horizon Science Academy Des Moines	Public, Charter	K-3	4801 Franklin Ave 2nd	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Horizon Science Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 335-1937	79	9	8.7	3.8%	32 (40.5%)	21 (26.6%)	17 (21.5%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (10.1%)								(n/a)
Clive Learning Academy	Public	PK, KG-6	1600 73rd Street	Des Moines	50324	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 633-5800	512	43	11.7	34.8%	237 (46.3%)	91 (17.8%)	100 (19.5%)	37 (7.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.8%)	50.2	327^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.3%		47.8	345^th of 565 public elementary schools	38.9%	18	54.5	75.8	72.6	74.6						70.9	80.3	72.6	65.7						61.3			$14,178	$481	$13,696
Cornell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	5817 NE 3rd St	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Saydel Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 244-8173	560	38	14.8	28.2%	402 (71.8%)	3 (0.5%)	107 (19.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.0%)	34.5	419^th of 557 public elementary schools	24.8%		44.3	370^th of 565 public elementary schools	34.5%	49	41.9	67.7								76.7	66.7											$12,990	$832	$12,159
Saydel High School	Public	9-12	5601 NE 7th St	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Saydel Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 262-9325	440	29	15.0	58.4%	307 (69.8%)	4 (0.9%)	91 (20.7%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.5%)	12.6	308^th of 338 public high schools	8.9%		8.5	313^th of 336 public high schools	6.8%	5							51.5	61.4	40.4							40.6	60.2	46.3			42.1	$15,532	$350	$15,182
Woodside Middle School	Public	5-8	5810 NE 14th St	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Saydel Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 265-3451	376	27	13.8	60.4%	254 (67.6%)	3 (0.8%)	76 (20.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (10.6%)	19.5	296^th of 337 public middle schools	12.2%		16.5	297^th of 334 public middle schools	11.1%	1			63.8	64.0	74.4	61.4						67.5	54.1	64.6	56.0				47.5	54.8		$14,080	$452	$13,628
Cowles Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6401 College Ave	Des Moines	50324	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7818	403	23	17.5	15.9%	312 (77.4%)	6 (1.5%)	34 (8.4%)	12 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.9%)	61	243^rd of 557 public elementary schools	56.4%		57.7	259^th of 565 public elementary schools	54.2%	16	72.2	93.9	79.4	75.8	97.0	81.5				75.0	78.8	64.7	69.7	84.8	82.1				64.7	78.6		$14,566	$624	$13,942
Pleasant Hill Elementary School	Public	K-5	4801 E Oakwood Dr	Des Moines	50327	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8432	211	19	11.1	63.0%	117 (55.5%)	17 (8.1%)	55 (26.1%)	6 (2.8%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (0.9%)	13 (6.2%)	39.5	389^th of 557 public elementary schools	30.2%		25.7	459^th of 565 public elementary schools	18.8%	70	51.5	72.0	74.3							63.6	60.0	62.9							62.9			$15,655	$628	$15,027

Cities Near Des Moines

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
West Des Moines	4.45 mi	14	185^th
Urbandale	4.84 mi	8	168^th
Clive	5.27 mi	3	201^st
Johnston	5.73 mi	8	90^th
Ankeny	6.63 mi	17	69^th

See the top IA Iowa cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.