Garton Elementary

Summary:

Garton Elementary is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 455 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 301 out of 309 school districts in Iowa and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Garton Elementary faces significant academic challenges, with consistently lower proficiency rates compared to the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 31.3% of 5th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, and 26.6% were proficient or better in Science, compared to the district averages of 50% and 37.5%, respectively, and the state averages of 69% and 59.6%, respectively. The school's academic performance, as measured by its statewide ranking, has been declining over the past several years, from ranking 499 out of 557 Iowa elementary schools in 2023-2024 to ranking 552 out of 565 in 2022-2023.

Garton Elementary serves a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students, with 87.91% of its students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year, significantly higher than the district and state averages. This socioeconomic factor may contribute to the school's academic challenges and the need for additional resources and support to address the unique needs of this student population. When compared to nearby schools within the same district, such as Cattell Elementary School and Findley Elementary School, Garton Elementary generally performs worse academically, with lower proficiency rates in core subjects.

Detail:

Public K-5

2820 E 24th St
Des Moines, IA 50317

(515) 242-8408

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
499^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,721

Students who attend Garton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Goodrell Middle School
High:	North High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.9

Number of students: 455

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

37.8%

White:

19.8%

African American:

18.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Garton Elementary ranks worse than 89.6% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 15^th among 38 ranked elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.42. (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 Garton Elementary has the largest elementary 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 Garton Elementary is $16,721, which is the 12^th highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

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 Garton Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	21.61	560^th	626	10.5%
2013	15.39	574^th	624	8.0%
2014	11.73	552^nd	603	8.5%
2015	8.98	568^th	616	7.8%
2016	8.13	565^th	599	5.7%
2017	7.41	536^th	574	6.6%
2018	9.47	521^st	567	8.1%
2019	7.70	577^th	603	4.3%
2021	13.24	516^th	567	9.0%
2022	6.47	546^th	574	4.9%
2023	3.15	552^nd	565	2.3%
2024	12.42	499^th	557	10.4%

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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Enrollment information for Garton Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	374	95	6	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	487
1989	369	93	1	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	472
1990	368	103	1	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	482
1991	359	110	0	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	481
1992	320	99	2	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	429
1993	303	96	3	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	415
1994	263	79	21	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	370
1995	275	116	7	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	410
1996	275	116	7	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	410
1997	272	76	4	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	366
1998	237	98	4	16	4	n/a	n/a	0	359
1999	236	98	6	15	6	n/a	n/a	0	361
2000	284	109	6	22	3	n/a	n/a	-18	406
2001	268	101	4	18	3	n/a	n/a	0	394
2002	234	94	5	31	2	n/a	n/a	0	366
2003	234	94	5	31	2	n/a	n/a	0	366
2004	213	95	10	35	1	n/a	n/a	0	354
2005	212	106	12	44	2	n/a	n/a	0	376
2006	194	99	19	51	2	n/a	n/a	0	365
2007	184	98	23	67	2	n/a	n/a	0	374
2008	336	111	34	120	3	n/a	n/a	0	604
2009	330	119	43	154	4	n/a	n/a	0	650
2010	241	124	49	164	7	1	34	0	620
2011	231	100	43	153	4	2	27	0	560
2012	206	90	45	149	3	1	28	0	522
2013	205	107	52	165	5	2	27	0	563
2014	196	119	65	182	3	2	28	0	595
2015	193	145	63	187	3	3	30	0	624
2016	196	125	62	189	5	5	30	0	612
2017	206	118	66	211	8	6	34	0	649
2018	205	130	66	205	4	6	34	0	650
2019	171	105	68	171	2	4	37	0	558
2020	137	107	65	153	3	4	33	0	502
2021	137	105	63	159	2	3	29	0	498
2022	120	88	62	169	1	2	32	0	474
2023	90	85	70	172	1	4	33	0	455

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 Garton Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	487	27.6	17.6	27.9
1989	472	2.1	224.7	30.3
1990	482	25.9	18.6	28.6
1991	481	33.5	14.3	27.9
1992	429	30.0	14.3	31
1993	415	28.8	14.4	34.5
1994	370	38.3	9.7	36.2
1995	410	29.6	13.9	40
1996	410	29.6	13.9	40
1997	366	29.6	12.4	39.3
1998	359	29.6	12.1	42.3
1999	361	25.0	14.4	56
2000	406	29.3	13.9	44.8
2001	394	30.9	12.8	53
2002	366	30.4	12.0	70.5
2003	366	30.4	12.0	70.5
2004	354	31.0	11.4	67.5
2005	376	28.3	13.3	59
2006	365	28.9	12.6	68.5
2007	374	28.6	13.1	65.2
2008	604	48.3	12.5	74.3
2009	650	47.9	13.6	68.6
2010	620	45.8	13.5	79.8
2011	560	44.5	12.5	82
2012	522	43.0	12.1	84.7
2013	563	45.0	12.5	86.3
2014	595	45.0	13.2	81.2
2015	624	47.0	13.2	90.9
2016	612	51.0	12.0	85.9
2017	649	48.0	13.5	84.4
2018	650	51.0	12.7	86.2
2019	558	51.0	10.9	84.9
2020	502	46.7	10.7	88.8
2021	498	45.5	10.9	86.9
2022	474	38.7	12.2	89
2023	455	38.2	11.9	87.9

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 Garton Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	487	27.6	17.6	27.9
1989	472	2.1	224.7	30.3
1990	482	25.9	18.6	28.6
1991	481	33.5	14.3	27.9
1992	429	30.0	14.3	31
1993	415	28.8	14.4	34.5
1994	370	38.3	9.7	36.2
1995	410	29.6	13.9	40
1996	410	29.6	13.9	40
1997	366	29.6	12.4	39.3
1998	359	29.6	12.1	42.3
1999	361	25.0	14.4	56
2000	406	29.3	13.9	44.8
2001	394	30.9	12.8	53
2002	366	30.4	12.0	70.5
2003	366	30.4	12.0	70.5
2004	354	31.0	11.4	67.5
2005	376	28.3	13.3	59
2006	365	28.9	12.6	68.5
2007	374	28.6	13.1	65.2
2008	604	48.3	12.5	74.3
2009	650	47.9	13.6	68.6
2010	620	45.8	13.5	79.8
2011	560	44.5	12.5	82
2012	522	43.0	12.1	84.7
2013	563	45.0	12.5	86.3
2014	595	45.0	13.2	81.2
2015	624	47.0	13.2	90.9
2016	612	51.0	12.0	85.9
2017	649	48.0	13.5	84.4
2018	650	51.0	12.7	86.2
2019	558	51.0	10.9	84.9
2020	502	46.7	10.7	88.8
2021	498	45.5	10.9	86.9
2022	474	38.7	12.2	89
2023	455	38.2	11.9	87.9

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 Garton Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,650 (9.9%)	$15,072 (90.1%)	$16,721

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Garton Elementary

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 577^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 552^nd of 565 Elementary schools	2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Garton Elementary)	41.3	31.2	10.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	44	43.3	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Garton Elementary)	52.2	53.2	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	52	52.1	0.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Garton Elementary)	53.3	40	13.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	49.7	52.4	2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Garton Elementary)	56.7	38.3	18.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	50.9	47.6	3.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Garton Elementary)	35.9	32.9	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	46.5	49.5	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Garton Elementary)	35	45.7	10.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	48.4	51.6	3.2%
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	558	455	18.5%
African American	105	85	19%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	68	70	2.9%
Hispanic	171	172	0.6%
Pacific Islander	4	4
White	171	90	47.4%
Two or More Races	37	33	10.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	84.9%	87.9%	3%

Schools Near Garton Elementary

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
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	455	38	11.9	87.9%	90 (19.8%)	85 (18.7%)	172 (37.8%)	70 (15.4%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	33 (7.3%)	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
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	258	23	11.4	81.0%	142 (55.0%)	26 (10.1%)	74 (28.7%)	3 (1.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.3%)	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
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	322	29	11.0	84.8%	89 (27.6%)	66 (20.5%)	111 (34.5%)	21 (6.5%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (9.6%)	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
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	313	26	12.2	87.5%	126 (40.3%)	57 (18.2%)	103 (32.9%)	11 (3.5%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (4.2%)	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
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	243	22	11.0	89.7%	60 (24.7%)	20 (8.2%)	115 (47.3%)	30 (12.3%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.2%)	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
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	622	52	11.8	85.2%	259 (41.6%)	123 (19.8%)	168 (27.0%)	18 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (8.5%)	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
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	304	25	12.1	86.2%	96 (31.6%)	60 (19.7%)	82 (27.0%)	45 (14.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.6%)	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
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	505	44	11.5	94.5%	119 (23.6%)	75 (14.9%)	275 (54.5%)	16 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.0%)	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
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	286	24	11.8	90.2%	99 (34.6%)	41 (14.3%)	107 (37.4%)	12 (4.2%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.4%)	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
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	423	35	12.0	94.8%	46 (10.9%)	105 (24.8%)	228 (53.9%)	18 (4.3%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (5.0%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Garton Elementary

Is Garton Elementary a good school?

Garton Elementary ranks in the bottom 10.4% of Iowa elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Garton Elementary?

Students at Garton Elementary are 38% Hispanic, 20% White, 19% African American, 15% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Garton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Garton Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Goodrell Middle School
High : North High School

How many students attend Garton Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 455 students attended Garton Elementary.

What district is Garton Elementary in?

Des Moines Independent 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.