Hillis Elementary School

Summary:

Hillis Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 305 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 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hillis Elementary has a relatively diverse student population, with 34.1% White, 18.03% African American, 24.59% Hispanic, and 13.11% Asian students. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 76.71% to 79.34% over the past three school years. This is significantly higher than nearby schools like Hubbell Elementary (44.23%) and Cowles Elementary (16.88%). Hillis Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11 to 12.6, which is lower than the nearby schools.

Academically, Hillis Elementary's performance, as measured by the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), is generally lower than the state and district averages across various grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts (44.7%) and Mathematics (60.4%) was significantly lower than the state averages (64.2% and 76.3%, respectively). Hillis Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking between 479 and 513 out of 557-565 schools in the state over the past few years, and has received a 0 or 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Detail:

Public K-5

2401 56th St
Des Moines, IA 50310

(515) 242-8412

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
479^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,776

Students who attend Hillis Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Meredith Middle School
High:	Hoover High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.6

Number of students: 305

Racial breakdown:

White:

34.1%

Hispanic:

24.6%

African American:

18.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Hillis Elementary School ranks worse than 86% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 13^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 17.82. (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 Hillis Elementary School 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 Hillis Elementary School is $16,776, which is the 11^th highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Hillis Elementary School 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Hillis Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	28.47	530^th	626	15.3%
2013	34.81	492^nd	624	21.2%
2014	35.16	472^nd	603	21.7%
2015	28.02	499^th	616	19.0%
2016	31.69	480^th	599	19.9%
2017	20.69	488^th	574	15.0%
2018	16.11	498^th	567	12.2%
2019	9.23	571^st	603	5.3%
2021	15.57	505^th	567	10.9%
2022	17.83	500^th	574	12.9%
2023	13.37	513^th	565	9.2%
2024	17.82	479^th	557	14.0%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Hillis Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	336	55	43	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	437
1989	304	60	38	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	406
1990	297	53	42	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	396
1991	291	50	42	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	390
1992	313	46	43	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	409
1993	301	42	51	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	404
1994	323	37	61	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	434
1995	399	42	52	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	506
1996	399	42	52	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	506
1997	339	44	37	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	429
1998	351	32	30	9	7	n/a	n/a	0	429
1999	344	32	25	12	5	n/a	n/a	0	418
2000	380	44	23	19	3	n/a	n/a	-21	448
2001	343	22	17	76	3	n/a	n/a	0	461
2002	298	25	8	72	4	n/a	n/a	0	407
2003	298	25	8	72	4	n/a	n/a	0	407
2004	275	25	12	78	2	n/a	n/a	0	392
2005	272	31	11	85	0	n/a	n/a	0	399
2006	256	28	12	91	0	n/a	n/a	0	387
2007	246	37	10	55	0	n/a	n/a	0	348
2008	309	70	14	71	2	n/a	n/a	0	466
2009	319	57	18	64	2	n/a	n/a	0	460
2010	292	42	22	80	2	0	33	0	471
2011	265	58	25	86	2	0	35	0	471
2012	275	51	26	82	3	0	28	0	465
2013	273	53	29	92	4	0	32	0	483
2014	271	56	33	113	2	0	32	0	507
2015	285	74	32	112	2	0	29	0	534
2016	220	70	27	101	2	1	26	0	447
2017	198	50	18	90	1	0	24	0	381
2018	162	59	27	85	2	0	35	0	370
2019	161	57	30	76	2	0	38	0	364
2020	134	59	28	63	3	0	31	0	318
2021	117	70	30	64	2	0	30	0	313
2022	115	58	26	65	2	0	26	0	292
2023	104	55	40	75	1	4	26	0	305

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 Hillis Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	437	25.0	17.4	19
1989	406	18.5	21.9	17.5
1990	396	24.0	16.5	16.9
1991	390	29.0	13.4	19
1992	409	25.0	16.3	22
1993	404	26.0	15.5	30.9
1994	434	32.0	13.6	25.3
1995	506	28.5	17.8	24.3
1996	506	28.5	17.8	24.3
1997	429	28.5	15.1	26.3
1998	429	28.5	15.1	24.7
1999	418	24.4	17.1	37.3
2000	448	27.0	16.6	32
2001	461	30.7	15.0	34.9
2002	407	26.0	15.7	37.3
2003	407	26.0	15.7	37.3
2004	392	26.8	14.6	42.1
2005	399	25.5	15.6	45.4
2006	387	25.4	15.2	49.6
2007	348	24.9	14.0	44.5
2008	466	32.2	14.5	53.2
2009	460	33.0	13.9	44.6
2010	471	31.9	14.7	49.7
2011	471	30.0	15.7	57.3
2012	465	28.5	16.3	60
2013	483	31.0	15.5	64.2
2014	507	32.0	15.8	63.5
2015	534	35.0	15.2	68
2016	447	33.0	13.5	70.5
2017	381	29.0	13.1	73
2018	370	28.0	13.2	73.8
2019	364	28.8	12.6	75.8
2020	318	27.8	11.4	75.8
2021	313	27.7	11.2	78
2022	292	26.4	11.0	76.7
2023	305	24.1	12.6	79.3

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 Hillis Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	437	25.0	17.4	19
1989	406	18.5	21.9	17.5
1990	396	24.0	16.5	16.9
1991	390	29.0	13.4	19
1992	409	25.0	16.3	22
1993	404	26.0	15.5	30.9
1994	434	32.0	13.6	25.3
1995	506	28.5	17.8	24.3
1996	506	28.5	17.8	24.3
1997	429	28.5	15.1	26.3
1998	429	28.5	15.1	24.7
1999	418	24.4	17.1	37.3
2000	448	27.0	16.6	32
2001	461	30.7	15.0	34.9
2002	407	26.0	15.7	37.3
2003	407	26.0	15.7	37.3
2004	392	26.8	14.6	42.1
2005	399	25.5	15.6	45.4
2006	387	25.4	15.2	49.6
2007	348	24.9	14.0	44.5
2008	466	32.2	14.5	53.2
2009	460	33.0	13.9	44.6
2010	471	31.9	14.7	49.7
2011	471	30.0	15.7	57.3
2012	465	28.5	16.3	60
2013	483	31.0	15.5	64.2
2014	507	32.0	15.8	63.5
2015	534	35.0	15.2	68
2016	447	33.0	13.5	70.5
2017	381	29.0	13.1	73
2018	370	28.0	13.2	73.8
2019	364	28.8	12.6	75.8
2020	318	27.8	11.4	75.8
2021	313	27.7	11.2	78
2022	292	26.4	11.0	76.7
2023	305	24.1	12.6	79.3

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 Hillis Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,702 (10.1%)	$15,074 (89.9%)	$16,776

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Hillis 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 571^st of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 513^th of 565 Elementary schools	3.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hillis Elementary School)	27.7	47.2	19.5%
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 (Hillis Elementary School)	29.8	44.4	14.6%
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 (Hillis Elementary School)	50.9	62.5	11.6%
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 (Hillis Elementary School)	45.6	60	14.4%
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 (Hillis Elementary School)	54.2	42.2	12%
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 (Hillis Elementary School)	54.2	53.3	0.9%
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	364	305	16.2%
African American	57	55	3.5%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	30	40	33.3%
Hispanic	76	75	1.3%
Pacific Islander	0	4
White	161	104	35.4%
Two or More Races	38	26	31.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	75.8%	79.3%	3.5%

Schools Near Hillis 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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th 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 Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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	305	24	12.6	79.3%	104 (34.1%)	55 (18.0%)	75 (24.6%)	40 (13.1%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	26 (8.5%)	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
Horizon Science Academy Des Moines	Public, Charter	K-3	4801 Franklin Ave 2nd	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Horizon Science Academy	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(515) 335-1937																			(n/a)
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	391	22	17.8	16.9%	305 (78.0%)	6 (1.5%)	25 (6.4%)	13 (3.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.7%)	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
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	296	25	11.7	72.0%	119 (40.2%)	63 (21.3%)	51 (17.2%)	31 (10.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (10.5%)	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
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	438	28	15.5	61.0%	218 (49.8%)	83 (18.9%)	74 (16.9%)	16 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (10.5%)	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
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	296	24	12.1	60.1%	169 (57.1%)	45 (15.2%)	49 (16.6%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (7.4%)	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
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	528	41	12.8	43.9%	236 (44.7%)	89 (16.9%)	116 (22.0%)	43 (8.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.1%)	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
Olmsted Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7110 Prairie Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 457-5100	662	46	14.3	46.7%	384 (58.0%)	86 (13.0%)	86 (13.0%)	60 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (6.6%)	44.7	366^th of 557 public elementary schools	34.3%		45.2	366^th of 565 public elementary schools	35.2%		56.0	76.5	72.4				68.1	62.2	72.1				58.1
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	423	35	12.0	94.6%	43 (10.2%)	145 (34.3%)	102 (24.1%)	93 (22.0%)	4 (0.9%)	7 (1.7%)	29 (6.9%)	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
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	407	27	15.0	44.2%	250 (61.4%)	72 (17.7%)	42 (10.3%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	35 (8.6%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillis Elementary School

Is Hillis Elementary School a good school?

Hillis Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.0% of Iowa elementary schools.

How many students attend Hillis Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 305 students attended Hillis Elementary School.

What district is Hillis Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Hillis Elementary School?

Students at Hillis Elementary School are 34% White, 25% Hispanic, 18% African American, 13% Asian, 9% Two or more races, 1% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Hillis Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Meredith Middle School
High : Hoover High 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.