Callanan Middle School

Summary:

Callanan Middle School is a public middle school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 507 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 301 out of 309 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Callanan Middle School faces significant challenges, including consistently low academic performance compared to state averages and nearby schools like Indian Hills Junior High and Merrill Middle School. For example, in 2023-2024, only 64.4% of 8th-grade students at Callanan were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 77.5% statewide and higher scores at nearby schools. The school also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 76.73% to 78.17% over the past three school years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools.

Despite the relatively high spending per student at Callanan Middle School, which was $15,075 in the 2018-2019 school year, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Iowa middle schools over the past several years, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. This suggests that the school is struggling to provide a high-quality education for its students, and addressing the underlying issues will likely require a comprehensive, data-driven approach that focuses on improving educational opportunities and outcomes for all students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

3010 Center Street
Des Moines, IA 50312

(515) 242-8101

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
319^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,075

Students who attend Callanan Middle School usually attend:

High:

Roosevelt High School

Feeder schools for Callanan Middle School:

Elementary:	Downtown School
	Edmunds Elementary School
	Greenwood Elementary School
	King Elementary School
	More...
	Walnut Street School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 507

Racial breakdown:

African American:

38.5%

White:

26.2%

Hispanic:

19.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 76.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Callanan Middle School ranks worse than 94.7% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks 3^rd among 10 ranked middle schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.92. (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 Callanan Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Callanan Middle School is $15,075, which is the 3^rd highest among 10 middle schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Callanan Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Callanan Middle School 319^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Callanan Middle School in the ranking list.)

Des Moines Independent Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Des Moines Independent Community School District 301^st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Callanan Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	12.30	337^th	349	3.4%
2013	7.45	341^st	350	2.6%
2014	2.84	331^st	337	1.8%
2015	3.80	339^th	349	2.9%
2016	8.56	325^th	343	5.2%
2017	5.04	319^th	327	2.4%
2018	3.02	310^th	318	2.5%
2019	12.42	315^th	342	7.9%
2021	6.07	310^th	324	4.3%
2022	7.16	321^st	337	4.7%
2023	7.18	316^th	334	5.4%
2024	6.92	319^th	337	5.3%

See the entire list of Iowa Middle 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 Callanan Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	424	106	45	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	580
1989	431	105	47	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	594
1990	453	98	44	11	3	n/a	n/a	0	609
1991	486	122	45	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	663
1992	497	130	46	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	684
1993	478	144	50	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	685
1994	516	145	61	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	739
1995	508	143	59	10	8	n/a	n/a	0	728
1996	508	143	59	10	8	n/a	n/a	0	728
1997	476	149	67	13	6	n/a	n/a	0	711
1998	456	173	61	18	6	n/a	n/a	0	714
1999	389	157	63	24	6	n/a	n/a	0	639
2000	360	147	51	37	7	n/a	n/a	0	602
2001	327	168	36	63	8	n/a	n/a	0	602
2002	354	169	26	61	6	n/a	n/a	0	616
2003	354	169	26	61	6	n/a	n/a	0	616
2004	345	185	21	64	4	n/a	n/a	0	619
2005	331	186	22	61	3	n/a	n/a	0	603
2006	330	206	32	74	2	n/a	n/a	0	644
2007	326	188	28	75	2	n/a	n/a	0	619
2008	310	174	28	73	5	n/a	n/a	0	590
2009	301	200	28	80	1	n/a	n/a	0	610
2010	253	181	24	93	0	2	51	0	604
2011	225	208	26	96	0	3	49	0	607
2012	214	234	27	109	0	4	55	0	643
2013	185	235	35	122	0	3	46	0	626
2014	162	240	37	132	0	2	47	0	620
2015	130	241	39	123	1	1	37	0	572
2016	133	228	36	124	0	1	39	0	561
2017	137	234	27	148	0	1	45	0	592
2018	156	247	27	137	0	0	36	0	603
2019	174	249	21	136	0	0	36	0	616
2020	158	264	17	123	3	0	46	0	611
2021	145	263	20	119	3	2	48	0	600
2022	134	236	18	98	2	2	44	0	534
2023	133	195	24	101	1	3	49	1	507

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 Callanan Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	580	39.4	14.7	48.1
1989	594	4.3	138.1	27.9
1990	609	34.3	17.7	24.3
1991	663	46.0	14.4	24.7
1992	684	43.0	15.9	28.4
1993	685	41.8	16.4	30.2
1994	739	53.9	13.7	28.3
1995	728	44.3	16.4	29.4
1996	728	44.3	16.4	29.4
1997	711	44.3	16.0	32.9
1998	714	44.3	16.1	35.4
1999	639	39.3	16.3	45.5
2000	602	50.0	12.0	46
2001	602	45.1	13.3	56
2002	616	45.3	13.6	53.7
2003	616	45.3	13.6	53.7
2004	619	49.1	12.6	52.2
2005	603	42.6	14.2	56.9
2006	644	44.1	14.6	60.6
2007	619	44.1	14.0	54.9
2008	590	45.5	13.0	58.5
2009	610	41.8	14.6	57.4
2010	604	41.8	14.4	61.8
2011	607	37.0	16.4	69.5
2012	643	37.5	17.1	73.3
2013	626	40.0	15.6	76.5
2014	620	42.7	14.5	75.3
2015	572	43.0	13.3	75.2
2016	561	44.0	12.7	78.1
2017	592	44.2	13.3	79.6
2018	603	42.1	14.3	78.8
2019	616	41.3	14.9	77.9
2020	611	38.6	15.8	77.4
2021	600	38.2	15.7	78.2
2022	534	34.3	15.5	77.3
2023	507	32.0	15.8	76.7

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 Callanan Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	580	39.4	14.7	48.1
1989	594	4.3	138.1	27.9
1990	609	34.3	17.7	24.3
1991	663	46.0	14.4	24.7
1992	684	43.0	15.9	28.4
1993	685	41.8	16.4	30.2
1994	739	53.9	13.7	28.3
1995	728	44.3	16.4	29.4
1996	728	44.3	16.4	29.4
1997	711	44.3	16.0	32.9
1998	714	44.3	16.1	35.4
1999	639	39.3	16.3	45.5
2000	602	50.0	12.0	46
2001	602	45.1	13.3	56
2002	616	45.3	13.6	53.7
2003	616	45.3	13.6	53.7
2004	619	49.1	12.6	52.2
2005	603	42.6	14.2	56.9
2006	644	44.1	14.6	60.6
2007	619	44.1	14.0	54.9
2008	590	45.5	13.0	58.5
2009	610	41.8	14.6	57.4
2010	604	41.8	14.4	61.8
2011	607	37.0	16.4	69.5
2012	643	37.5	17.1	73.3
2013	626	40.0	15.6	76.5
2014	620	42.7	14.5	75.3
2015	572	43.0	13.3	75.2
2016	561	44.0	12.7	78.1
2017	592	44.2	13.3	79.6
2018	603	42.1	14.3	78.8
2019	616	41.3	14.9	77.9
2020	611	38.6	15.8	77.4
2021	600	38.2	15.7	78.2
2022	534	34.3	15.5	77.3
2023	507	32.0	15.8	76.7

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 Callanan Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$880 (5.8%)	$14,196 (94.2%)	$15,075

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Callanan Middle 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 315^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 316^th of 334 Middle schools	2.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Callanan Middle School)	45.4	53.7	8.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	48.3	45.6	2.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Callanan Middle School)	57.1	46.1	11%
6th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.1	41	10.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Callanan Middle School)	53.3	55.9	2.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	47.8	48.4	0.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Callanan Middle School)	52.5	48.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.9	43.3	8.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Callanan Middle School)	58	56.5	1.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	50.7	51.5	0.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Callanan Middle School)	55.9	50.3	5.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.9	46.1	5.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.8	72	0.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	616	507	17.7%
African American	249	195	21.7%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	21	24	14.3%
Hispanic	136	101	25.7%
Pacific Islander	0	3
White	174	133	23.6%
Two or More Races	36	49	36.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	77.9%	76.7%	1.2%

Schools Near Callanan Middle 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 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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	507	32	15.8	76.7%	133 (26.2%)	195 (38.5%)	101 (19.9%)	24 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	49 (9.7%)	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
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	634	36	17.5	44.6%	375 (59.1%)	101 (15.9%)	79 (12.5%)	21 (3.3%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.5%)	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
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	603	30	19.9	73.6%	288 (47.8%)	78 (12.9%)	171 (28.4%)	23 (3.8%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.3%)	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
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	529	34	15.7	94.9%	67 (12.7%)	126 (23.8%)	282 (53.3%)	28 (5.3%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.0%)	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
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	664	47	14.0	83.9%	132 (19.9%)	235 (35.4%)	148 (22.3%)	96 (14.5%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	47 (7.1%)	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
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	655	37	17.5	89.5%	109 (16.6%)	182 (27.8%)	226 (34.5%)	87 (13.3%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (6.7%)	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
Stilwell Junior High School	Public	7-8	1601 Vine St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6000	684	48	14.3	36.1%	449 (65.6%)	72 (10.5%)	91 (13.3%)	30 (4.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (5.7%)	52.1	189^th of 337 public middle schools	43.9%		56.8	166^th of 334 public middle schools	50.3%	23		76.9	79.3		66.2	82.0	67.2	$15,102	$192	$14,909
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	684	39	17.5	85.7%	135 (19.7%)	121 (17.7%)	278 (40.6%)	102 (14.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.6%)	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
Urbandale Middle School	Public	6-8	7701 Aurora Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 457-6600	894	57	15.8	40.6%	581 (65.0%)	84 (9.4%)	125 (14.0%)	53 (5.9%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	46 (5.1%)	49.3	201^st of 337 public middle schools	40.4%		49.1	197^th of 334 public middle schools	41.0%	4	72.8	81.8	80.3	71.1	70.7	74.0	61.7	$8,993	$119	$8,874
Indian Hills Junior High School	Public	7-8	9401 Indian Hills Dr	Clive	50325	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4700	696	53	13.1	45.4%	354 (50.9%)	71 (10.2%)	154 (22.1%)	63 (9.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.5%)	59.8	149^th of 337 public middle schools	55.8%		65.5	109^th of 334 public middle schools	67.4%	40		83.2	77.3		78.9	81.3	64.5	$15,125	$193	$14,931

Frequently Asked Questions about Callanan Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Callanan Middle School?

Students at Callanan Middle School are 38% African American, 26% White, 20% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Callanan Middle School attend?

Students who attend Callanan Middle School usually go on to attend Roosevelt High School

What district is Callanan Middle School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

How many students attend Callanan Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 507 students attended Callanan Middle School.

Is Callanan Middle School a good school?

Callanan Middle School ranks in the bottom 5.3% of Iowa middle schools.

Rate Callanan Middle School!

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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.