Northwest Elementary School

Q: Is Northwest Elementary School a good school?

Northwest Elementary School ranks 298 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Northwest Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Ankeny, Iowa, serving 354 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Ankeny Community School District, which is ranked 46th out of 309 school districts in the state.

Academically, Northwest Elementary School has seen mixed results compared to the district and state averages. While the school's 5th-grade proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were higher than the state averages in recent years, the overall proficiency rates across all grade levels tested were lower than the district and state. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 68th out of 574 Iowa elementary schools in 2016-2017 to 351st out of 574 in 2021-2022. Similarly, the school's SchoolDigger rating has varied from 4 stars out of 5 to 2 stars out of 5 during this period.

Northwest Elementary School has seen an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 20.11% in 2020-2021 to 33.62% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the district's overall rate. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 13.5 to 14.4 in recent years, lower than some nearby schools like Ashland Ridge Elementary and Prairie Trail Elementary. While Northwest Elementary's academic performance may be lower than some high-performing nearby schools, it is comparable to or better than other nearby schools in certain grade levels and subject areas.

Detail:

Public K-5

1202 W First St
Ankeny, IA 50023

(515) 965-9680

District: Ankeny Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
298^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,743

Students who attend Northwest Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Prairie Ridge Middle School
High:	Ankeny Centennial High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 354

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.9%

Hispanic:

12.7%

Two or more races:

9.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 33.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Northwest Elementary School ranks worse than 53.5% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 8^th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Ankeny Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.14. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Northwest Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Ankeny Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northwest Elementary School is $12,743, which is the highest among 9 elementary schools in the Ankeny Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Northwest Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Ankeny Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Ankeny Community School District 46^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Northwest Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	70.18	144^th	626	77.0%
2013	78.15	59^th	624	90.5%
2014	70.88	149^th	603	75.3%
2015	77.44	90^th	616	85.4%
2016	76.44	105^th	599	82.5%
2017	79.94	68^th	574	88.2%
2018	74.38	122^nd	567	78.5%
2019	66.10	204^th	603	66.2%
2021	45.21	346^th	567	39.0%
2022	47.04	351^st	574	38.9%
2023	58.21	257^th	565	54.5%
2024	55.14	298^th	557	46.5%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Northwest Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	535	5	3	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	544
1989	534	7	6	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	551
1990	448	5	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	459
1991	467	4	7	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	480
1992	419	7	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	435
1993	412	7	9	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	433
1994	396	5	11	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	415
1995	315	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	319
1996	315	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	319
1997	294	2	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	299
1998	293	3	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	301
1999	294	4	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	303
2000	348	8	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	-25	336
2001	339	10	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	354
2002	370	9	2	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	390
2003	370	9	2	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	390
2004	423	15	4	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	452
2005	360	13	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	375
2006	413	10	2	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	432
2007	414	15	3	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	444
2008	444	12	3	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	468
2009	379	17	6	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	409
2010	370	11	4	20	2	0	15	0	422
2011	416	15	5	18	3	0	19	0	476
2012	413	12	4	26	2	0	16	0	473
2013	369	8	5	25	2	0	12	0	421
2014	346	8	0	27	2	0	14	0	397
2015	336	13	0	31	1	0	24	0	405
2016	338	14	0	31	0	0	20	0	403
2017	322	10	1	33	0	0	23	0	389
2018	299	16	1	30	1	0	19	0	366
2019	295	22	1	28	1	0	26	0	373
2020	285	20	1	27	1	0	26	0	360
2021	288	12	2	41	1	0	29	0	373
2022	264	25	4	40	1	0	38	0	372
2023	244	27	5	45	1	0	32	0	354

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northwest Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	544	25.5	21.3	5
1989	551	25.5	21.6	3.4
1990	459	25.3	18.1	5.9
1991	480	25.3	18.9	6.3
1992	435	19.0	22.8	3.9
1993	433	19.0	22.8	8.5
1994	415	18.0	23.1	8
1995	319	12.0	26.6	7.5
1996	319	12.0	26.6	7.5
1997	299	14.0	21.4	8
1998	301	14.0	21.5	10.6
1999	303	14.5	20.9	19.5
2000	336	11.5	29.2	15
2001	354	12.5	28.3	15.5
2002	390	21.1	18.5	11.8
2003	390	21.1	18.5	11.8
2004	452	22.6	20.0	13.1
2005	375	18.1	20.7	14.7
2006	432	27.1	15.9	20.1
2007	444	22.7	19.6	19.8
2008	468	22.7	20.6	16.7
2009	409	29.4	13.9	20.8
2010	422	29.2	14.4	25.4
2011	476	24.0	19.8	25.4
2012	473	26.6	17.7	24.3
2013	421	28.9	14.5	26.4
2014	397	29.4	13.4	23.9
2015	405	24.0	16.8	29.6
2016	403	24.0	16.7	25.6
2017	389	24.9	15.6	27.5
2018	366	21.0	17.4	29
2019	373	23.0	16.2	36.7
2020	360	24.8	14.5	30.6
2021	373	25.7	14.4	20.1
2022	372	25.8	14.4	29.3
2023	354	26.2	13.5	33.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Northwest Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	544	25.5	21.3	5
1989	551	25.5	21.6	3.4
1990	459	25.3	18.1	5.9
1991	480	25.3	18.9	6.3
1992	435	19.0	22.8	3.9
1993	433	19.0	22.8	8.5
1994	415	18.0	23.1	8
1995	319	12.0	26.6	7.5
1996	319	12.0	26.6	7.5
1997	299	14.0	21.4	8
1998	301	14.0	21.5	10.6
1999	303	14.5	20.9	19.5
2000	336	11.5	29.2	15
2001	354	12.5	28.3	15.5
2002	390	21.1	18.5	11.8
2003	390	21.1	18.5	11.8
2004	452	22.6	20.0	13.1
2005	375	18.1	20.7	14.7
2006	432	27.1	15.9	20.1
2007	444	22.7	19.6	19.8
2008	468	22.7	20.6	16.7
2009	409	29.4	13.9	20.8
2010	422	29.2	14.4	25.4
2011	476	24.0	19.8	25.4
2012	473	26.6	17.7	24.3
2013	421	28.9	14.5	26.4
2014	397	29.4	13.4	23.9
2015	405	24.0	16.8	29.6
2016	403	24.0	16.7	25.6
2017	389	24.9	15.6	27.5
2018	366	21.0	17.4	29
2019	373	23.0	16.2	36.7
2020	360	24.8	14.5	30.6
2021	373	25.7	14.4	20.1
2022	372	25.8	14.4	29.3
2023	354	26.2	13.5	33.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Northwest Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$644 (5.1%)	$12,099 (94.9%)	$12,743

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northwest Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 204^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 257^th of 565 Elementary schools	11.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Northwest Elementary School)	66.1	73.6	7.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ankeny Community School District)	77.3	78	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Northwest Elementary School)	85.5	80.6	4.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Ankeny Community School District)	86.3	83.8	2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Northwest Elementary School)	66.1	70.8	4.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ankeny Community School District)	85	86.2	1.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Northwest Elementary School)	74.2	79.2	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Ankeny Community School District)	88.8	84	4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Northwest Elementary School)	86.8	68.6	18.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ankeny Community School District)	84.9	80.7	4.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Northwest Elementary School)	83	68.6	14.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ankeny Community School District)	87.7	82.8	4.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	373	354	5.1%
African American	22	27	22.7%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	1	5	400%
Hispanic	28	45	60.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	295	244	17.3%
Two or More Races	26	32	23.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	36.7%	33.6%	3.1%

Schools Near Northwest Elementary School

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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northwest Elementary School	Public	K-5	1202 W First St	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 965-9680	354	26	13.5	33.6%	244 (68.9%)	27 (7.6%)	45 (12.7%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.0%)	55.1	298^th of 557 public elementary schools	46.5%		58.2	257^th of 565 public elementary schools	54.5%	41	59.6	71.0	75.0	73.7	78.3	72.9	66.7	$12,743	$644	$12,099
Westwood Elementary School	Public	K-5	2920 NW 9th St	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9690	642	38	16.9	16.4%	538 (83.8%)	19 (3.0%)	44 (6.9%)	7 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (4.8%)	82.5	57^th of 557 public elementary schools	89.8%		75	117^th of 565 public elementary schools	79.3%	60	87.0	82.7	81.4	93.5	83.7	82.4	75.7	$11,911	$384	$11,527
East Elementary School	Public	K-5	710 SE 3rd St	Ankeny	50021	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 965-9660	413	29	14.3	36.6%	279 (67.6%)	30 (7.3%)	38 (9.2%)	15 (3.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (12.1%)	53.1	311^th of 557 public elementary schools	44.2%		46.2	359^th of 565 public elementary schools	36.5%	48	73.7	74.6	71.6	77.2	68.3	64.2	61.2	$11,901	$351	$11,551
Ashland Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	2600 NW Ash Drive	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9594	759	38	20.0	10.7%	633 (83.4%)	25 (3.3%)	35 (4.6%)	26 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.3%)	81.2	61^st of 557 public elementary schools	89.0%		85.1	38^th of 565 public elementary schools	93.3%	23	82.0	87.1	85.7	85.0	83.3	84.0	71.2	$11,160	$239	$10,921
Heritage Elementary	Public	K-5	301 SW Prairie Trail Pky	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9645	610	35	17.4	30.3%	441 (72.3%)	20 (3.3%)	84 (13.8%)	35 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.9%)	62.6	224^th of 557 public elementary schools	59.8%		74.8	118^th of 565 public elementary schools	79.1%	106	69.0	79.2	75.6	81.6	80.2	74.4	55.6
Prairie Trail Elementary	Public	K-5	1850 SW College Ave	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9605	571	35	16.3	7.0%	468 (82.0%)	18 (3.2%)	34 (6.0%)	16 (2.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.8%)	91.2	8^th of 557 public elementary schools	98.6%		88.7	18^th of 565 public elementary schools	96.8%	10	89.7	91.3	88.5	97.4	94.2	89.7	78.2	$11,662	$230	$11,432
Southeast Elementary School	Public	K-5	1005 SE Trilein Dr	Ankeny	50021	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 965-9650	520	36	14.4	29.6%	374 (71.9%)	41 (7.9%)	48 (9.2%)	20 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.1%)	60.4	251^st of 557 public elementary schools	54.9%		72.7	139^th of 565 public elementary schools	75.4%	112	71.4	79.1	68.2	72.4	83.7	68.2	69.4	$11,914	$404	$11,509
Northeast Elementary	Public	K-5	1705 NE Trilein Dr	Ankeny	50021	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9620	655	39	16.8	10.4%	533 (81.4%)	23 (3.5%)	40 (6.1%)	23 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.5%)	83.7	48^th of 557 public elementary schools	91.4%		86.6	30^th of 565 public elementary schools	94.7%	18	83.6	90.5	86.4	94.8	85.7	83.1	66.9	$11,723	$246	$11,477
Rock Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	3800 NW Abilene Rd	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9629	732	44	16.6	17.6%	586 (80.1%)	51 (7.0%)	46 (6.3%)	19 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.0%)	75.9	104^th of 557 public elementary schools	81.3%		79.1	87^th of 565 public elementary schools	84.6%	17	79.5	84.5	81.8	89.3	72.9	84.1	68.2	$11,986	$349	$11,637
Crocker Elementary School	Public	K-5	2910 SW Applewood St	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9710	500	36	13.9	19.2%	394 (78.8%)	16 (3.2%)	34 (6.8%)	14 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.4%)	75.5	108^th of 557 public elementary schools	80.6%		84.8	40^th of 565 public elementary schools	92.9%	68	76.2	84.4	77.9	86.1	79.2	80.5	71.4	$12,111	$254	$11,857

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest Elementary School

Is Northwest Elementary School a good school?

Northwest Elementary School ranks 298^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Northwest Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 354 students attended Northwest Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Northwest Elementary School?

Students at Northwest Elementary School are 69% White, 13% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 8% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Northwest Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Northwest Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Prairie Ridge Middle School
High : Ankeny Centennial High School

What district is Northwest Elementary School in?

Ankeny Community School District

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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.