McKinley Elementary School

Summary:

McKinley Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 285 students from pre-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 the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McKinley Elementary consistently underperforms compared to state and district averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 31.7% of 3rd graders 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 also has an exceptionally high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 89.47% to 95.45% over the past three school years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Despite these challenges, McKinley Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.9 to 11.9 over the past three school years.

While McKinley Elementary has a higher percentage of Hispanic students (44.91%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 10.29% to 54.46% Hispanic students, some nearby schools, such as Carver Elementary and Capitol View Elementary, also have a significant Hispanic student population. However, these schools generally outperform McKinley in academic measures, suggesting that factors beyond racial/ethnic composition may be contributing to the school's struggles. Addressing the challenges faced by McKinley Elementary will require a comprehensive approach that considers the unique needs and circumstances of the school's student population.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1610 SE 6th Street
Des Moines, IA 50315

(515) 242-8423

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
519^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,844

Students who attend McKinley Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Weeks Middle School
High:	Lincoln High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.9

Number of students: 285

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.9%

White:

27.0%

African American:

11.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details McKinley Elementary School ranks worse than 93.2% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 23^rd 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 8.11. (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 McKinley 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 McKinley Elementary School is $18,844, which is the 2^nd highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

McKinley 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.)

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Rank History for McKinley Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	10.75	592^nd	626	5.4%
2013	10.56	586^th	624	6.1%
2014	7.71	569^th	603	5.6%
2015	3.76	595^th	616	3.4%
2016	8.87	562^nd	599	6.2%
2017	2.96	555^th	574	3.3%
2018	2.28	557^th	567	1.8%
2019	7.39	579^th	603	4.0%
2021	5.60	547^th	567	3.5%
2022	6.29	550^th	574	4.2%
2023	6.47	535^th	565	5.3%
2024	8.11	519^th	557	6.8%

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 McKinley Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	176	11	1	89	0	n/a	n/a	0	277
1989	151	10	6	81	2	n/a	n/a	0	250
1990	164	20	7	81	0	n/a	n/a	0	272
1991	194	16	6	106	1	n/a	n/a	0	323
1992	179	18	18	115	0	n/a	n/a	0	330
1993	170	18	14	93	0	n/a	n/a	0	295
1994	155	15	13	111	2	n/a	n/a	0	296
1995	187	14	11	137	3	n/a	n/a	0	352
1996	187	14	11	137	3	n/a	n/a	0	352
1997	176	10	17	132	3	n/a	n/a	0	338
1998	172	11	16	148	1	n/a	n/a	0	348
1999	170	10	10	204	1	n/a	n/a	0	395
2000	202	11	8	214	0	n/a	n/a	-14	421
2001	172	13	8	162	0	n/a	n/a	0	355
2002	139	14	5	171	0	n/a	n/a	0	329
2003	139	14	5	171	0	n/a	n/a	0	329
2004	150	22	5	180	1	n/a	n/a	0	358
2005	134	28	4	171	2	n/a	n/a	0	339
2006	135	26	8	163	1	n/a	n/a	0	333
2007	152	31	10	198	1	n/a	n/a	0	392
2008	137	36	14	172	2	n/a	n/a	0	361
2009	126	37	13	156	1	n/a	n/a	0	333
2010	119	35	21	135	1	0	12	0	323
2011	120	44	33	143	0	0	7	0	347
2012	128	51	30	166	0	0	14	0	389
2013	100	48	46	122	1	1	14	0	332
2014	109	36	50	135	1	1	15	0	347
2015	103	46	58	130	1	1	20	0	359
2016	94	41	39	117	1	0	17	0	309
2017	84	40	31	111	1	0	13	0	280
2018	73	40	27	121	2	0	20	0	283
2019	76	29	16	115	2	0	28	0	266
2020	75	31	20	111	2	0	34	0	273
2021	67	25	20	120	1	0	31	0	264
2022	65	24	19	127	2	0	32	0	269
2023	77	33	17	128	2	0	28	0	285

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 McKinley Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	277	20.2	13.7	48.7
1989	250	11.0	22.7	50.8
1990	272	16.9	16.0	35.7
1991	323	23.6	13.6	50.2
1992	330	29.0	11.3	46.7
1993	295	28.0	10.5	49.2
1994	296	36.1	8.2	60.8
1995	352	27.2	12.9	62.2
1996	352	27.2	12.9	62.2
1997	338	27.2	12.4	55.3
1998	348	27.2	12.8	62.1
1999	395	25.3	15.6	72.4
2000	421	31.6	13.3	62.1
2001	355	30.2	11.8	71.8
2002	329	27.3	12.1	79.9
2003	329	27.3	12.1	79.9
2004	358	29.7	12.1	83.8
2005	339	26.7	12.7	71.4
2006	333	24.6	13.5	76.9
2007	392	26.6	14.7	68.6
2008	361	26.2	13.8	84.2
2009	333	25.7	13.0	73.9
2010	323	25.1	12.8	79.6
2011	347	28.0	12.3	89.3
2012	389	27.5	14.1	99.2
2013	332	28.9	11.4	97.3
2014	347	27.9	12.4	95.7
2015	359	29.0	12.3	93.6
2016	309	30.0	10.3	94.5
2017	280	26.7	10.4	89.3
2018	283	26.3	10.7	89.8
2019	266	24.7	10.7	94.7
2020	273	23.1	11.8	93.4
2021	264	24.1	10.9	95.5
2022	269	24.1	11.1	91.4
2023	285	23.9	11.9	89.5

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 McKinley Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	277	20.2	13.7	48.7
1989	250	11.0	22.7	50.8
1990	272	16.9	16.0	35.7
1991	323	23.6	13.6	50.2
1992	330	29.0	11.3	46.7
1993	295	28.0	10.5	49.2
1994	296	36.1	8.2	60.8
1995	352	27.2	12.9	62.2
1996	352	27.2	12.9	62.2
1997	338	27.2	12.4	55.3
1998	348	27.2	12.8	62.1
1999	395	25.3	15.6	72.4
2000	421	31.6	13.3	62.1
2001	355	30.2	11.8	71.8
2002	329	27.3	12.1	79.9
2003	329	27.3	12.1	79.9
2004	358	29.7	12.1	83.8
2005	339	26.7	12.7	71.4
2006	333	24.6	13.5	76.9
2007	392	26.6	14.7	68.6
2008	361	26.2	13.8	84.2
2009	333	25.7	13.0	73.9
2010	323	25.1	12.8	79.6
2011	347	28.0	12.3	89.3
2012	389	27.5	14.1	99.2
2013	332	28.9	11.4	97.3
2014	347	27.9	12.4	95.7
2015	359	29.0	12.3	93.6
2016	309	30.0	10.3	94.5
2017	280	26.7	10.4	89.3
2018	283	26.3	10.7	89.8
2019	266	24.7	10.7	94.7
2020	273	23.1	11.8	93.4
2021	264	24.1	10.9	95.5
2022	269	24.1	11.1	91.4
2023	285	23.9	11.9	89.5

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 McKinley Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,470 (7.8%)	$17,374 (92.2%)	$18,844

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McKinley 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 579^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 535^th of 565 Elementary schools	1.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (McKinley Elementary School)	54.5	25.7	28.8%
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 (McKinley Elementary School)	54.5	45.7	8.8%
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 (McKinley Elementary School)	35	59.5	24.5%
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 (McKinley Elementary School)	40	54.1	14.1%
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 (McKinley Elementary School)	27.8	39	11.2%
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 (McKinley Elementary School)	33.3	43.9	10.6%
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	266	285	7.1%
African American	29	33	13.8%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	16	17	6.3%
Hispanic	115	128	11.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	76	77	1.3%
Two or More Races	28	28
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	94.7%	89.5%	5.3%

Schools Near McKinley 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
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	285	24	11.9	89.5%	77 (27.0%)	33 (11.6%)	128 (44.9%)	17 (6.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.8%)	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
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	297	25	11.9	88.6%	78 (26.3%)	68 (22.9%)	105 (35.4%)	27 (9.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.1%)	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
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	269	20	13.5	65.4%	94 (34.9%)	86 (32.0%)	44 (16.4%)	14 (5.2%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	28 (10.4%)	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
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
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	378	29	13.2	80.4%	164 (43.4%)	56 (14.8%)	109 (28.8%)	13 (3.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.0%)	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
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
Jackson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3825 Indianola Ave	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8415	406	29	14.2	80.5%	90 (22.2%)	77 (19.0%)	153 (37.7%)	59 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (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
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	496	39	12.6	89.7%	51 (10.3%)	97 (19.6%)	224 (45.2%)	95 (19.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.0%)	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
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	442	37	11.8	88.7%	117 (26.5%)	103 (23.3%)	132 (29.9%)	52 (11.8%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.7%)	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
Downtown School	Public	K-5	1800 Grand Avenue	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 284-5848	243	20	12.3	25.1%	163 (67.1%)	23 (9.5%)	25 (10.3%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.5%)	71.2	149^th of 557 public elementary schools	73.2%		57.5	261^st of 565 public elementary schools	53.8%	112	63.6	86.4	84.2	78.8	84.1	73.7	71.1	$14,247	$621	$13,626

Frequently Asked Questions about McKinley Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of McKinley Elementary School?

Students at McKinley Elementary School are 45% Hispanic, 27% White, 12% African American, 10% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

What schools do graduates of McKinley Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Weeks Middle School
High : Lincoln High School

How many students attend McKinley Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 285 students attended McKinley Elementary School.

What district is McKinley Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

Is McKinley Elementary School a good school?

McKinley Elementary School ranks in the bottom 6.8% of Iowa elementary schools.

Rate McKinley Elementary 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.