Howe Elementary

Summary:

Howe Elementary is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 297 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.

Howe Elementary's academic performance, as measured by the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress), is significantly lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 28% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the district average of 43.1% and the state average of 64.2%. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking of 506 out of 557 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

When comparing Howe Elementary to the nearby schools within the same district, such as Wright Elementary (60.6% proficient or better in 3rd-grade ELA) and Walnut Street School (50% proficient or better in 3rd-grade ELA), it becomes evident that Howe is performing significantly worse academically. Additionally, Howe Elementary has a very high percentage of students (88.55% in 2022-2023) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Detail:

Public K-5

2900 Indianola
Des Moines, IA 50315

(515) 242-8413

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
506^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,527

Students who attend Howe Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Weeks Middle School
High:	Lincoln High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.9

Number of students: 303

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

41.3%

White:

25.7%

African American:

19.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.9%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Howe Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Howe Elementary ranks worse than 90.8% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 17^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 11.2. (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 Student population at Howe Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (41.3%), White (25.7%), African American (19.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Howe Elementary is 11.9, which is the 17^th best among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Howe Elementary employs 25.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Howe Elementary is $16,527, which is the 14^th highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Howe 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 Howe Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	6.10	603^rd	626	3.7%
2013	13.89	576^th	624	7.7%
2014	10.15	559^th	603	7.3%
2015	4.47	592^nd	616	3.9%
2016	2.50	589^th	599	1.7%
2017	5.20	542^nd	574	5.6%
2018	3.97	548^th	567	3.4%
2019	6.48	581^st	603	3.6%
2021	11.23	527^th	567	7.1%
2022	10.70	526^th	574	8.4%
2023	15.70	501^st	565	11.3%
2024	11.20	506^th	557	9.2%

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 Howe Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	288	8	6	12	4	n/a	n/a	0	318
1989	286	9	5	13	6	n/a	n/a	0	319
1990	275	12	5	16	3	n/a	n/a	0	311
1991	285	8	8	12	8	n/a	n/a	0	321
1992	276	8	7	11	7	n/a	n/a	0	309
1993	276	5	6	8	5	n/a	n/a	0	300
1994	308	12	12	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	343
1995	297	10	6	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	331
1996	297	10	6	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	331
1997	274	19	10	22	1	n/a	n/a	0	326
1998	263	29	8	23	1	n/a	n/a	0	324
1999	253	19	7	26	2	n/a	n/a	0	307
2000	267	20	8	20	1	n/a	n/a	-22	294
2001	224	20	7	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	270
2002	211	22	5	22	2	n/a	n/a	0	262
2003	211	22	5	22	2	n/a	n/a	0	262
2004	195	23	4	28	2	n/a	n/a	0	252
2005	197	16	4	24	4	n/a	n/a	0	245
2006	199	27	3	30	3	n/a	n/a	0	262
2007	169	42	7	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	251
2008	183	63	16	77	0	n/a	n/a	0	339
2009	169	67	13	80	0	n/a	n/a	0	329
2010	127	49	11	89	1	4	26	0	307
2011	126	51	10	84	2	2	29	0	304
2012	131	39	9	66	2	2	27	0	276
2013	144	44	11	61	1	2	34	0	297
2014	106	46	14	82	3	1	30	0	282
2015	106	51	14	97	5	1	24	0	298
2016	108	56	13	109	4	0	23	0	313
2017	114	49	21	101	4	1	20	0	310
2018	93	53	25	113	1	0	23	0	308
2019	87	49	23	104	1	0	22	0	286
2020	83	59	21	95	2	0	19	0	279
2021	77	53	21	98	1	0	20	0	270
2022	79	60	28	119	1	0	19	0	306
2023	78	68	27	105	1	0	18	0	297
2024	78	58	29	125	0	0	13	0	303

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 Howe Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	318	18.2	17.4	40.3
1989	319	14.0	22.7	31
1990	311	17.9	17.3	20.6
1991	321	19.0	16.8	24.9
1992	309	21.0	14.7	26.9
1993	300	20.3	14.8	29.3
1994	343	22.7	15.1	28
1995	331	17.6	18.8	32
1996	331	17.6	18.8	32
1997	326	17.6	18.5	34
1998	324	17.6	18.4	38
1999	307	16.3	18.8	52.1
2000	294	19.7	14.9	48.1
2001	270	19.7	13.7	54.4
2002	262	17.5	15.0	53.4
2003	262	17.5	15.0	53.4
2004	252	18.3	13.8	53.2
2005	245	18.4	13.3	49.4
2006	262	17.1	15.3	52.3
2007	251	17.1	14.7	46.6
2008	339	21.9	15.5	68.1
2009	329	20.3	16.2	67.2
2010	307	20.7	14.7	80.8
2011	304	20.0	15.2	87.5
2012	276	19.5	14.1	85.5
2013	297	20.5	14.4	93.3
2014	282	21.9	12.8	93.3
2015	298	23.0	12.9	84.9
2016	313	26.0	12.0	87.2
2017	310	25.1	12.3	82.3
2018	308	22.5	13.6	86
2019	286	21.4	13.3	86.4
2020	279	21.3	13.0	87.1
2021	270	23.2	11.6	88.1
2022	306	23.3	13.1	88.6
2023	297	24.8	11.9	88.6
2024	303	25.3	11.9	77.9

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 Howe Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	318	18.2	17.4	40.3
1989	319	14.0	22.7	31
1990	311	17.9	17.3	20.6
1991	321	19.0	16.8	24.9
1992	309	21.0	14.7	26.9
1993	300	20.3	14.8	29.3
1994	343	22.7	15.1	28
1995	331	17.6	18.8	32
1996	331	17.6	18.8	32
1997	326	17.6	18.5	34
1998	324	17.6	18.4	38
1999	307	16.3	18.8	52.1
2000	294	19.7	14.9	48.1
2001	270	19.7	13.7	54.4
2002	262	17.5	15.0	53.4
2003	262	17.5	15.0	53.4
2004	252	18.3	13.8	53.2
2005	245	18.4	13.3	49.4
2006	262	17.1	15.3	52.3
2007	251	17.1	14.7	46.6
2008	339	21.9	15.5	68.1
2009	329	20.3	16.2	67.2
2010	307	20.7	14.7	80.8
2011	304	20.0	15.2	87.5
2012	276	19.5	14.1	85.5
2013	297	20.5	14.4	93.3
2014	282	21.9	12.8	93.3
2015	298	23.0	12.9	84.9
2016	313	26.0	12.0	87.2
2017	310	25.1	12.3	82.3
2018	308	22.5	13.6	86
2019	286	21.4	13.3	86.4
2020	279	21.3	13.0	87.1
2021	270	23.2	11.6	88.1
2022	306	23.3	13.1	88.6
2023	297	24.8	11.9	88.6
2024	303	25.3	11.9	77.9

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 Howe Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,727 (10.4%)	$14,800 (89.6%)	$16,527

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Howe 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 581^st of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 501^st of 565 Elementary schools	7.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Howe Elementary)	50	37.5	12.5%
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 (Howe Elementary)	50	47.5	2.5%
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 (Howe Elementary)	39.5	57.1	17.6%
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 (Howe Elementary)	39.5	61.2	21.7%
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 (Howe Elementary)	47.2	57.8	10.6%
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 (Howe Elementary)	39.6	57.8	18.2%
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	286	297	3.8%
African American	49	68	38.8%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	23	27	17.4%
Hispanic	104	105	1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	87	78	10.3%
Two or More Races	22	18	18.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	86.4%	88.6%	2.2%

Schools Near Howe 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Howe Elementary

Is Howe Elementary a good school?

Howe Elementary ranks in the bottom 9.2% of Iowa elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Howe Elementary attend?

Students who attend Howe Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Weeks Middle School
High : Lincoln High School

What district is Howe Elementary in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Howe Elementary?

Students at Howe Elementary are 41% Hispanic, 26% White, 19% African American, 10% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Howe Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 303 students attended Howe Elementary.

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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.