Meredith Middle School

Summary:

Meredith Middle School is a public middle school located in Des Moines, Iowa, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 664 students. 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.

Meredith Middle School stands out for its diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 19.88% White, 35.39% African American, 22.29% Hispanic, 14.46% Asian, and 7.08% two or more races. This diversity is higher than the nearby schools, such as Brody Middle School, Hiatt Middle School, Harding Middle School, and Callanan Middle School. However, Meredith Middle School's academic performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in ISASP tests, is generally lower than the state and district averages.

Meredith Middle School also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 83.65% to 84.15% over the past three school years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools. The school's spending per student for the 2018-2019 school year was $14,971, which is higher than the spending per student at some of the nearby schools. Additionally, Meredith Middle School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 13.8 to 15.2 over the past three school years, which is lower than the ratios at some of the nearby schools.

Detail:

Public 6-8

4827 Madison Ave
Des Moines, IA 50310

(515) 242-7250

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
323^rd of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,971

Students who attend Meredith Middle School usually attend:

High:

Hoover High School

Feeder schools for Meredith Middle School:

Elementary:	Hillis Elementary School
	Monroe Elementary School
	Moore Elementary School
	Samuelson Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 664

Racial breakdown:

African American:

35.4%

Hispanic:

22.3%

White:

19.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 83.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Meredith Middle School ranks worse than 95.8% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks 5^th 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 4.18. (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 Meredith 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 Meredith Middle School is $14,971, which is the 4^th highest among 10 middle schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Meredith Middle School 323^rd of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Meredith 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.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Meredith Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	7.53	340^th	349	2.6%
2013	4.89	344^th	350	1.7%
2014	1.47	333^rd	337	1.2%
2015	2.11	343^rd	349	1.7%
2016	3.71	335^th	343	2.3%
2017	6.32	315^th	327	3.7%
2018	5.64	307^th	318	3.5%
2019	7.14	328^th	342	4.1%
2021	2.71	316^th	324	2.5%
2022	5.21	325^th	337	3.6%
2023	4.55	320^th	334	4.2%
2024	4.18	323^rd	337	4.2%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Meredith Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	460	158	31	5	0	n/a	n/a	654
1989	459	151	29	6	0	n/a	n/a	645
1990	522	153	24	10	0	n/a	n/a	709
1991	529	148	29	8	1	n/a	n/a	715
1992	533	159	25	9	4	n/a	n/a	730
1993	545	171	25	6	2	n/a	n/a	749
1994	527	200	17	6	1	n/a	n/a	751
1995	525	207	27	15	0	n/a	n/a	774
1996	525	207	27	15	0	n/a	n/a	774
1997	527	197	30	12	1	n/a	n/a	767
1998	537	173	27	9	1	n/a	n/a	747
1999	529	171	29	9	4	n/a	n/a	742
2000	541	174	26	15	5	n/a	n/a	761
2001	515	190	30	31	6	n/a	n/a	772
2002	589	209	31	42	6	n/a	n/a	877
2003	589	209	31	42	6	n/a	n/a	877
2004	537	210	28	50	3	n/a	n/a	828
2005	474	192	35	62	6	n/a	n/a	769
2006	441	199	29	66	9	n/a	n/a	744
2007	386	182	34	66	6	n/a	n/a	674
2008	361	198	27	70	3	n/a	n/a	659
2009	322	207	39	76	1	n/a	n/a	645
2010	267	189	46	87	1	0	48	638
2011	255	161	54	91	2	0	44	607
2012	257	176	98	115	3	0	38	687
2013	238	164	105	117	4	0	38	666
2014	224	172	127	142	4	0	46	715
2015	215	184	119	144	3	0	48	713
2016	219	183	119	159	5	0	52	737
2017	212	212	117	153	3	1	36	734
2018	213	237	130	172	3	2	48	805
2019	197	266	133	171	3	2	57	829
2020	182	269	126	164	2	1	62	806
2021	161	245	117	150	5	0	62	740
2022	135	222	108	154	5	0	51	675
2023	132	235	96	148	4	2	47	664

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 Meredith Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	654	45.6	14.3	22.8
1989	645	48.6	13.2	22.9
1990	709	36.5	19.4	13.5
1991	715	48.5	14.7	15.4
1992	730	42.0	17.3	20.1
1993	749	41.5	18.0	21.4
1994	751	56.0	13.4	21.6
1995	774	45.0	17.2	26.1
1996	774	45.0	17.2	26.1
1997	767	45.0	17.0	25.7
1998	747	45.0	16.6	27.2
1999	742	42.1	17.6	37.2
2000	761	46.0	16.5	34.6
2001	772	47.5	16.3	42.9
2002	877	53.2	16.5	43
2003	877	53.2	16.5	43
2004	828	55.5	14.9	47.2
2005	769	50.5	15.2	51.4
2006	744	49.9	14.9	56.6
2007	674	49.9	13.5	52.1
2008	659	46.9	14.1	58.6
2009	645	46.2	14.0	56.1
2010	638	45.4	14.0	66.6
2011	607	39.0	15.5	69.2
2012	687	40.9	16.7	73.7
2013	666	41.9	15.8	77.6
2014	715	47.2	15.1	76.4
2015	713	47.0	15.1	68
2016	737	50.0	14.7	76.4
2017	734	52.1	14.0	77.5
2018	805	53.6	15.0	81.2
2019	829	55.9	14.8	84.2
2020	806	51.6	15.6	84.9
2021	740	48.4	15.2	83.6
2022	675	48.8	13.8	84.1
2023	664	47.1	14.0	83.9

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 Meredith Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	654	45.6	14.3	22.8
1989	645	48.6	13.2	22.9
1990	709	36.5	19.4	13.5
1991	715	48.5	14.7	15.4
1992	730	42.0	17.3	20.1
1993	749	41.5	18.0	21.4
1994	751	56.0	13.4	21.6
1995	774	45.0	17.2	26.1
1996	774	45.0	17.2	26.1
1997	767	45.0	17.0	25.7
1998	747	45.0	16.6	27.2
1999	742	42.1	17.6	37.2
2000	761	46.0	16.5	34.6
2001	772	47.5	16.3	42.9
2002	877	53.2	16.5	43
2003	877	53.2	16.5	43
2004	828	55.5	14.9	47.2
2005	769	50.5	15.2	51.4
2006	744	49.9	14.9	56.6
2007	674	49.9	13.5	52.1
2008	659	46.9	14.1	58.6
2009	645	46.2	14.0	56.1
2010	638	45.4	14.0	66.6
2011	607	39.0	15.5	69.2
2012	687	40.9	16.7	73.7
2013	666	41.9	15.8	77.6
2014	715	47.2	15.1	76.4
2015	713	47.0	15.1	68
2016	737	50.0	14.7	76.4
2017	734	52.1	14.0	77.5
2018	805	53.6	15.0	81.2
2019	829	55.9	14.8	84.2
2020	806	51.6	15.6	84.9
2021	740	48.4	15.2	83.6
2022	675	48.8	13.8	84.1
2023	664	47.1	14.0	83.9

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 Meredith Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,099 (7.3%)	$13,873 (92.7%)	$14,971

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Meredith 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 328^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 320^th of 334 Middle schools	0.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Meredith Middle School)	51.8	53.4	1.6%
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 (Meredith Middle School)	47.8	45.7	2.1%
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 (Meredith Middle School)	44.7	53.6	8.9%
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 (Meredith Middle School)	51.3	48.2	3.1%
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 (Meredith Middle School)	51	50.3	0.7%
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 (Meredith Middle School)	51.3	42.5	8.8%
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	829	664	19.9%
African American	266	235	11.7%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	133	96	27.8%
Hispanic	171	148	13.5%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	197	132	33%
Two or More Races	57	47	17.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	84.2%	83.9%	0.3%

Schools Near Meredith 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 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th 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
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
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
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
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
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
Summit Middle School	Public	6-7	9500 Windsor Parkway	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-0318	1,112	69	16.0	26.8%	738 (66.4%)	126 (11.3%)	83 (7.5%)	106 (9.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (5.2%)	68.9	96^th of 337 public middle schools	71.5%		74.6	62^nd of 334 public middle schools	81.4%	34		82.3	84.0			82.9	75.4				$11,977	$474	$11,503
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
Woodside Middle School	Public	5-8	5810 NE 14th St	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Saydel Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 265-3451	359	36	10.0	71.0%	248 (69.1%)	1 (0.3%)	74 (20.6%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.9%)	19.5	296^th of 337 public middle schools	12.2%		16.5	297^th of 334 public middle schools	11.1%	1	63.8	64.0	74.4	61.4	67.5	54.1	64.6	56.0	47.5	54.8	$14,080	$452	$13,628
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Meredith Middle School

What high school do graduates of Meredith Middle School attend?

Students who attend Meredith Middle School usually go on to attend Hoover High School

How many students attend Meredith Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 664 students attended Meredith Middle School.

What district is Meredith Middle School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Meredith Middle School?

Students at Meredith Middle School are 35% African American, 22% Hispanic, 20% White, 14% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

Is Meredith Middle School a good school?

Meredith Middle School ranks in the bottom 4.2% of Iowa middle schools.

Rate Meredith 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.